Forgotten Shadow
by Thine Dreamer Doth Take Flight
Summary: Carrie feels like she's just a shadow in the background of her friends' life. But then she gets run over by a car and lands in the hospital. Will her friends be there for her now? I suck at summaries...so just read. Yugi X OC.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I was reading my friend ScarlethasAngstyPowers' story, __**That's Not Love**__, and then I listened to Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park. An idea came into my head about the much-neglected OC of Carrie West...well, she's my OC that has been neglected by the other characters in Scarlet's story. Here's the story that resulted from the mixture, and I hope you like it. And just an FYI for those that have read __**Her Pain, His Heart**__, Carrie is a little different. Yugi solved the Puzzle, she lives with Mai as of the timing, and she isn't with Yami; she's with Yugi. I know it's a little confusing, but I'll try to keep it simple. Thank you for giving this story a shot. Please read on._

_Disclaimer: I don't own __**Yu-Gi-Oh! **__or Alyssa Pegasus...the latter belongs to Scarlet._

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**Forgotten Shadow**

Chapter 1

She should have been used to being forgotten by then, but even now it was hard to remember she was just a shadow in the background of her friends' lives. Whenever a problem arose, all they needed to do was call upon the Nameless Pharaoh that was so fondly called Yami and he would save their asses from seemingly unstoppable doom. Her brawn had long fallen out of power; only occasionally did it come in handy for situations where Yami was just not there. There was once a time when she had been somewhat the center of attention, but that time had long since disappeared into the abyss.

The dark curtains in the girl's room managed to block out most of the sun, but enough of its rays managed to seep through to alert her that it was day. She reluctantly pulled herself away from the pillows not because she was extremely tired, but because she didn't want to live another day of being in the background. Her green eyes glanced at the clock and realized she had only an hour to meet up with her friends. Would it really matter if she didn't show up? She never had the courage to figure it out.

She was in and out of the shower in no time, her shoulder-length blonde hair hanging loosely because she didn't feel like it mattered what she did with her hair; no one would notice her, anyway. Her outfit was normal, just a red T-shirt with a pair of blue jeans and tennis shoes. Nothing special because it didn't matter. Not even her boyfriend would care what she looked like. His eyes would be focused elsewhere like they usually were. His violet gaze might be on another friend's minor problems or a major world-threatening incident or just on the cards in his Duel Monsters deck. They would be anywhere but on her unless she did something destructive to gain his attention.

_Why do I still go over there when no one really sees me? All I'm doing is filling space,_ the girl thought as she walked out of the apartment she shared with the gorgeous Mai Valentine. _...I guess I only stay there for Yugi's sake, but if something doesn't change, I'm not sure I'll be able to stand being around them anymore._

"Mai, I'm going to meet up with the gang. I'll be back around five," the girl called inside.

"All right. Just don't stay longer than you have to. And have fun if you can, Carrie. I don't want you coming home looking like hell again," Mai told her. She was one of the only people who still gave a damn about her.

A small smile broke out on Carrie's face. "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."

Then she left the apartment, the only place where she was noticed. Mai was a good woman for taking her in after Carrie was forced to leave her last home. That home was shared with her beautiful and rich cousin, Alyssa Pegasus, who no longer wanted to live with their crazy uncle. Alyssa was the reason Carrie had come to Japan in the first place, for she had helped her to escape an abusive family in New York City. But then in the midst of a bunch of her own problems that drew everyone's eye, Alyssa decided to get her own place and leave Carrie to find somewhere else to live. She had abandoned Carrie …but she wasn't alone in that fault.

Carrie had always had trouble fitting in. In NYC, her life had been pure hell. It all started when she beat her mother in a duel at the age of seven. Until then, Megan had been undefeated. All she had wanted to do was teach her daughter the game. The blonde had learned it quickly and that had been her undoing. Megan turned her world upside down. She never physically harmed her or her sister Jessica; she left that to her husband Carl. She just destroyed Carrie's social life by spreading false rumors. Ever since then, Carrie was forced to fight for her safety wherever she went that people would know her. Needless to say, her social skills had never been very good.

Beautiful, fabulous, kind-hearted Alyssa had drawn her into Domino City with the promise that she'd be safe and the brunette would always be there for her cousin. It was a new start for the fighter, and she tried her best to make friends. Joey, Tea, Tristan, and Yugi had become her first friends; they had accepted her as part of the gang. It wasn't because she was related to the creator of Duel Monsters or the famous Alyssa. They had accepted her for her…though Tea was a little less welcoming than the others. For a time, she was truly happy, especially when she and Yugi began a relationship that exceeded the boundaries of friendship.

She was supposedly a stereotypical loud-mouthed, klutzy blonde who knew how to throw a punch. Sometimes, she fit that category. But with her friends, she thought she fit in and was always a part of them. The spotlight wasn't just set on one person. It was set on the whole group; no one was in the background.

Then problems arose that she had no power to help with. Try as she might, all she could be was an obstacle. Carrie learned quickly to stay out of the way when it came to the Marik incident, though she tried to save Joey and Tea from being kidnapped. That had almost resulted in her getting captured herself, and there were a lot of times where Marik tried to use her to hurt Yami and Yugi. Her strength was useless against the powers of the Millennium Items. So it was better if she stayed back.

Slowly, the spotlight had begun to turn away from her. Tea, who looked more useless than Carrie, was noticed far more than she just because she always had something to say that got the gang's attention. Joey and Tristan were humorous, the comedy section of the gang, and they kept things interesting at the same time that they were useful for the cause. After all, they could fight just as good as Carrie could. And the light would never in a million years turn away from Yugi and Yami. They were the heroes of this whole thing with the Millennium Puzzle and the only ones with the power to stop evil. Alyssa was sometimes in the dark, but when her problems arose, the spotlight quickly illuminated her.

Even after Alyssa had gone all psychopathic dark killer on everyone, they still gave her the same attention she usually got. She had used Monsters on them, messed with everyone's emotions, slept with the number one manwhore Kaiba, hurt them physically, and killed people. One of the people she had killed had been Carrie's father-if you could call a man that gained pleasure from beating his daughters until they couldn't walk that word-, Carl West. He had come with her half-sister Jessica to force Carrie to return home, and then Alyssa had sent Soul Tiger to kill him right in front of her little sister. Carrie had cried when she watched that on the news. It wasn't because she missed the man, but because she had remembered how good he had been before that accursed duel. Shortly thereafter, they had managed to rid Alyssa of her evil. But the damage had been done.

The big kicker that left Carrie in a depressed state was Yugi's lack of emotion when she had called him to tell him and Yami what Alyssa had done, what had happened to Carl. It had been late at night; she couldn't blame him for being slow to respond and tired. But after seeing the news, he had promised to come over shortly. She had hung up the phone and waited for over an hour for him to come, crying silently in the apartment room while she remembered who Carl had been, expecting to see Yugi's tri-colored head at her bedroom door at any moment. Then she gave up waiting and got dressed and went over to his house instead, for he had forgotten about her the moment he had hung up the phone.

Even Yugi, her boyfriend, had forgotten her…

Carrie shook her head. She couldn't keep living in the past. Things could always get better if she tried to make them so. Today was a new day. Anything was possible. It wasn't like the events of today were set in stone and she had no power over what could happen on this date in time.

But even her usual mental pep talk couldn't get her out of her glum mood.

She saw the game shop that Yugi's grandfather owned just across the street and sighed. The others were in there, probably already engaged in their own affairs even though they lacked a member. Again she stopped to wonder if they would notice if she didn't show up, but like always, she didn't want to chance worrying Yugi. So she crossed the street without bothering to look both ways, her heart too heavy for her brain to work properly.

"Look out!" someone on the sidewalk screamed, but it was too late.

Carrie turned to see the reason for the man's shouting, but she couldn't move out of the way fast enough. A car ran right into her, sending her flying backwards a few feet. Her head hit the pavement so hard that she blacked out immediately from the pain. The car kept going for little longer, as the driver had not applied the brakes fast enough to prevent any damage to her. The car ran over Carrie's right side, causing who-knows-what kind of damage to the girl's body.

She didn't even have the strength to wonder if her friends would come to her funeral if she didn't manage to survive this.

* * *

His violet eyes kept glancing over at the door, though the others took no notice of his anxious looks. He knew Carrie would show up like she always did unless something terrible happened, and even if that were the case she would have called to tell them she couldn't make it. Still, he had a bad feeling that wouldn't be put to rest until he saw her pretty face come into Grandpa's store. Not even Yami could put his mind at ease.

_**Yugi, she's going to be here. Stop worrying,**_ the ancient spirit chided.

_I can't. There's something amiss...I can't explain it. The only way I'll stop worrying is if she walks through that door,_ Yugi said. When he noticed the look Yami was giving him, he quickly added, _And it's not just because she's my girlfriend._

_**Whatever you say.**_

_If you had these feelings, you'd be feeling anxious, too. I've always trusted you about things I didn't understand, so now it's your turn._

_**I do not doubt you, and I trust what you are saying. I just don't want you getting worked up over nothing. You have a habit of doing that when it comes to Carrie.**_

_We've been neglecting her for some time...I haven't been keeping my promises to her and I'm supposed to be her boyfriend. I want to make up for ignoring her, but I won't be able to do that if something bad happens to her today. So until my bad feeling goes away, let's just drop the subject._

_**Fine...but I still think your bad feeling is coming from that weird-looking sushi Grandpa fed you last night.**_

Yugi ignored that last part and turned his attention back to Tea, Tristan, and Joey. They were all looking at the newest cards in the store and having an argument about who was the better duelist out of the three. Joey was going in alone on this and it was a two-on-one battle. Tea and Tristan had him beat, but the dumb blonde wasn't going to give up on his lost cause. Grandpa chuckled from behind the counter while Yugi just smiled from his perch on top of the said counter.

This was just a normal day for the gang…

Or most of it, anyway. It wouldn't be complete until Carrie showed up.

Tristan was just about to punch Joey when the sound of someone skidding on the road entered the air. This was followed by a lot of shouting and commotion. Concerned, Yugi stood and walked over to the front door of the shop with the others close behind. His heart was racing even though he had no idea what was going on, and he prayed that he wasn't overreacting. Everyone in the store went outside to see what was going on.

Someone had been hit by a car right in front of the shop. People were calling 911, and the driver of the said car was in an emotional turmoil as he stood in front of his barely-dented vehicle. They heard tidbits of what people were saying about the victim and gathered it was a teenage girl with blonde hair that hadn't necessarily been looking where she was going before being hit. And she was badly hurt because of the impact and the continuous momentum of the car after the brakes had been applied. The ambulance hadn't arrived yet, but its siren could be heard in the distance. It would be there soon.

The description was close to Carrie's, but Yugi didn't want to jump to conclusions. There were a lot of girls in school that were blonde and a bit absent-minded. Carrie wouldn't be foolish enough to walk into traffic when it wasn't safe. Even if she had been acting a bit unusual for some time, she wouldn't walk across the road when a car was coming. It had to be someone else.

The ambulance arrived with the police, who set about getting people out of there. Medical personnel moved around to the area where the victim was laying and moved her onto a stretcher after checking her vital signs. The sudden urgency of their movements didn't help slow the racing of Yugi's heart in any way. She was carried into the back of the ambulance, the doors closed behind her, and they began the fight to keep her alive.

His friends were taller and could see farther away than he could, so they had probably seen the face of the victim. In fact, he was sure they did, for Tea had gasped. He turned his fearful gaze on her with one question in his mind.

"…That…That was Carrie," Tea sobbed, tears in her blue eyes.

Yugi's heart plummeted into his stomach.

"…She looked really banged up…Her right side looked as flat as a pancake…and she wasn't conscious," Tristan murmured.

"…I hope she manages to pull through," Joey put in. "We need to get to the hospital now and wait to see what happens to her. Yugi, will you be up for it?"

Yugi couldn't reply because of all the tears that were running down his face. They all knew he would want to be there for Carrie, so there really wasn't a need for words. The whole gang took off in the direction that the ambulance had gone, even Grandpa, because they didn't want to face the death of one of their friends…

Or, at least, Yugi didn't.

* * *

She was in critical condition, but was stable for the moment. The doctors weren't sure if Carrie would pull out of this without permanent damage and were very concerned about the condition of her head, since she had hit it so hard it cracked. Somehow the car had managed to avoid marring her face, or else brain damage would have definitely occurred had not death preceded it. The right half of her body needed serious work; she wouldn't be leaving the hospital for months if she left the hospital at all.

Mai stood next to Yugi as they looked into the room where the blonde girl laid, the moving line on the machine the only indication that she was still alive. They hardly recognized the body lying there with all the medical crap she was hooked up to and the hospital gown and blankets. Never before had they seen Carrie in a physically weakened state. Hell, they hadn't even seen her with the common cold. She had always been so strong…now she was weaker than ever and would need all the help she could get after she got out of the hospital…_if _she got out of the hospital.

"Yugi," Mai said, startling the boy who had been a little zoned out. "You need to be there for her this time."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked. He honestly didn't know what she was talking about.

"I know you and the others are her friends, but…before this, she would always come back from your place with a frown on her face. I understand that you guys are usually caught in situations where the world might end, and you might not have meant to push her away…but Carrie wasn't herself when she got hit by that car. The accidental neglect you and the others placed upon her…I don't know…it made her depressed," Mai explained. "Carrie wouldn't have crossed the street in front of an incoming car if she had been herself…That's all I know."

"…That's exactly what I thought when the accident occurred…" Yugi mumbled sadly.

"She's going to be unconscious for some time. But if you and Joseph and the rest of you guys really care about her, you'll visit her in the hospital while she recuperates," Mai stated. "I don't care if the world is going to go to hell. You're going to come to this hospital and see Carrie as often as possible. She's going to need us _all_. And I know I can trust you to be here for her. After all, you are her boyfriend."

_A lousy excuse for one if you ask me._

"I will be here as often as I possibly can."

"When my work schedule permits, I will do the same."

The two were forced to move away when Pegasus arrived to see his injured niece. The silver-haired man was a little too weird and crazy for their liking, and he was being overly dramatic as always. He was weeping uncontrollably about his injured niece that could 'become brain-dead at any moment and never be the same Care-Bear he knew and loved', forgetting that he barely paid any attention to Carrie because he hadn't raised her like he had raised Alyssa. Carrie was just his sister's daughter on most occasions.

Alyssa herself had come already. Yugi had called her and Mai as soon as they had gotten to the hospital and found where Carrie had been taken. She had come with Mokuba, who she had been baby-sitting at the time, and talked to the doctors about her cousin. Her movie-star face and cat's eye-green eyes had been full of sorrow, and she really had been sad over the tragedy that had befallen Carrie. But she had had to leave because Kaiba would not be as sympathetic as a normal human if he found out Mokuba had been taken to a hospital over a car accident that involved the blonde he hated.

Carrie was in need, and even if no one else came to take care of her, Yugi would.

The spotlight was on her now.

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_A/N: Well, there's the first chapter. What did you think? Is it worth continuing? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I got one review the last time I looked, so I guess this is worth continuing. Here's the next chapter. Please read on._

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Chapter 2

Carrie was incapable of leaving the hospital for months. It took two full months before she was able to wake up again, let alone move. Then she had to go through tons of physical therapy and corrective surgeries to fix her flattened right side…and to top it off, she had trouble remembering things because of the crack in her skull. She didn't really have brain damage; the only thing she couldn't remember was what had happened the day she had been hit.

During her days in the hospital, Yugi didn't skip out for other seemingly exciting things. He came to see her every day at around the same time. The others came to see her, but not as frequently and not for the same amount of time that Yugi stayed. Only Mai might have rivaled him in visit numbers. But everyone was trying to be better, to let her know that they cared and she really did matter. Kaiba had even stopped in once every now and then even though he hated Carrie. He had first come the day after the accident because Alyssa had been a mess and he had wanted to see what exactly made her that way.

And now we'll go back to a few of their hospital visits…

_A Week After The Accident_

Yugi sat by Carrie's bedside, holding her left hand like he had done every other time he had come to see her. No one else was there; the room was usually empty of people when he showed up. The room itself wasn't empty. After the accident had happened, friends and family had brought in the usual flowers, stuffed animals, and cards wishing her a speedy recovery. He couldn't help but wonder what she would think when she woke up and saw all the things she was surrounded by. Would she see that she really wasn't just a shadow in the background? Or would she see it as just one of those situations when she forced the spotlight on her and it would turn away as soon as she opened her eyes?

The world wasn't in peril, or else Yami probably wouldn't have been so concerned about Carrie and Yugi. The boy wouldn't call the spirit insensitive, but he wasn't exactly emotional, either. Yami knew that Yugi made a promise to Mai, which was why he never pressured Yugi to leave Carrie alone. The spirit himself was worried about the damage done to the girl that could kick his ass, the one that his hikari had fallen in love with. But he thought there were more important things in life than spending time with an unconscious girl. She wouldn't even know if he hadn't been there. But Yugi had to make up for lost time, and without telling that to Yami, the spirit understood.

Life hadn't been the same without her. Not at home, not at school, not anywhere. Grandpa had lost his smile and closed the store earlier than he usually did. Joey, Tristan, and Tea were trying to sort through their emotions and dealing with the Carrie situation in their own ways; they hardly ever smiled. The students and teachers in school were keeping her in their prayers and sometimes a student that had known Carrie particularly well would burst into tears out of nowhere. In ways, they were all acting as if she were dead when she wasn't. She was merely in a pain-induced coma. But that was enough to send Domino City into an emotional turmoil.

_I miss her a lot,_ Yugi thought suddenly.

_**She isn't dead. You can't really miss her when you come see her every day,**_ Yami said. The spirit was sitting in the windowsill of the hospital room with his arms crossed.

_It's different. Carrie is not dead, but she's not exactly alive, either. I miss a lot of things about her. Is it so wrong to say such things?_

Yami shook his head. _**No. I suppose it isn't. To be honest, I miss her, too. Even though she liked to beat up on me like every other guy she knew. At least she knew how to brighten a room. Ever since the accident, everyone has been so depressed. If she were awake, she would manage to make them smile again.**_

_If she were awake. But she won't be for a long time. You don't just wake up after being run over by a car in the same way she was. Some people don't even make it through one of those types of accidents._

_**Then I suppose Carrie's lucky.**_

_We don't know that. She might never be able to walk again. Or she might not even be able to get up from that hospital bed because of the damage on her right side. And that's not even bringing up the condition of her head. She cracked her skull...who's to say she'll even be the same Carrie up there when she does wake up?_

_**Yugi, calm down. You're speaking fast and working yourself up. Next you're going to cry, and there's no reason for you to do so. You don't need to get upset over things you can't control. Please calm down.**_

Yugi took a deep breath. Yami was right, of course. The boy had cried so many tears already over Carrie's impending future. Any more and he might drown in sorrow. So he calmed himself and regained his composure for Yami's sake.

_When did she slip away from us?_

_**What do you mean?**_

_...When did we stop noticing her?_

Yami took a moment to think about his hikari's question. _**It might have been during the Battle City tournament…when Marik was trying to take over the world. That was when she began to disappear into the background…She failed to save Tea, Joey, and Mokuba from being captured. Tea managed to help Mokuba escape, and then she and Joey were used to force us into a duel. Do you remember?**_

_...Of course I do. Carrie was mocking Marik the whole duel even though she knew what was on the line for us. _Yugi cracked a small smile at that. _For awhile, she was the only other person with us that wasn't brainwashed. Her mockery wasn't exactly helpful...but she did keep the mood a little on the light side. We didn't really pay attention to Carrie then because we so focused on saving Joey and Tea...and to keep him from being taken under by that anchor and her from being crushed by that crane. And then shortly after that, Marik had her kidnapped..._

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Flashback::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

They had been walking along for some time before Yugi finally realized there was someone missing. Kaiba and Mokuba had long since disappeared because of the friction between the businessman and the gang. Serenity had left as well to avoid any danger; that had been Joey's doing. Mai had also gone her own way in order to find some losers to duel. Only Joey, Tea, and Tristan remained. But there was supposed to be someone else with them, someone very close to Yugi's heart.

"Where's Carrie?" he asked.

"…I thought she was with us. It's not like her to just leave without saying anything," Tea remarked.

"That jerk Marik must have something to do with this. He did, after all, just use me and Tea to try and steal your Puzzle at the cost of your life," Joey said. "I doubt he would miss a chance to use your girlfriend against you. His goons probably grabbed her when we were leaving the harbor and we didn't notice."

"How are we supposed to find her? They could have taken her anywhere," Tristan pointed out.

"Yeah, and what about your tournament? This thing isn't going to last forever," Tea reminded him.

"The tournament can wait. All that matters is finding Carrie before something bad happens to her. My friends come before anything else," Yugi stated.

"I suggest we head back to the harbor and spread out. If Marik's goons are as brainless as I hope they are, they probably took her into one of the abandoned warehouses around there. Let's hope we can get to her in time," Joey told them.

They did split up like he suggested because there was nothing else they could do. This day was definitely not in their favor. First, there was the kidnapping and manipulating of Tea and Joey. Then there was the possibly fatal plunge into the ocean because Yugi hadn't wanted to hurt his best friend and Joey was willing to risk his life to save his best bud. Now this was happening. Would Marik not even allow them a moment's peace? What made it even worse was that it was practically night. What if they couldn't find her at all in the cover of darkness?

After what felt like an eternity of searching, Yugi stumbled upon evidence of where Carrie had gone. Her favorite card, Gyakutenno Megami, had been dropped near a specific warehouse that was not too far from the harbor. He didn't know of anyone else that possessed that card, and Carrie wouldn't just leave the Fairy anywhere. She was reaching out to him, trying to let him know where she had been taken. There was no way of alerting the others; he didn't own a cell phone. So he would just have to handle this alone, no matter what awaited him inside.

He found other cards that belonged to Carrie's deck on the ground. They weren't just dropped one after the other; they were pretty spaced out as to not attract attention from her captors. Even in the face of danger, the blonde was a smart girl. Her cards led him to the very back of the warehouse, and the closer he got to it, the more sound he heard. Someone swearing and someone groaning from pain and a couple of others snickering. The last card he found was Carrie's strongest: Uria, Lord of Searing Flames.

And it was found just a few feet away from where Carrie was being held.

There were several people lying unconscious on the ground. They were in the dark robes that all of Marik's followers seemed to wear. Yugi assumed it was Carrie who had put them in their current state. But now the blonde girl was restrained with metal chains that had happened to be lying around and didn't appear to be able to fight anymore. A certain cloaked figure was standing in front of her with another cloaked figure directly behind him. Two other people in the same ensemble were standing off to the side, snickering evilly as Carrie winced in pain from some unknown force.

"Just give up, Carrie. The longer you resist my control, the more pain you'll suffer," the man in front of Carrie claimed. He was holding something in his hand that Yugi couldn't see, but that he assumed was the Millennium Rod.

Carrie just glared at him, no fear in her green eyes. She was too much of a fighter to give in to anyone, especially this creep. The man with the Rod seemed to take offense in her stare and directed his ancient rod at her once more.

She couldn't stop herself from screaming at the pain that was sent through her at that moment. Somehow her body crashed into the wall behind her as if she had been hit by a solid blow rather than a mystical one before she fell to the ground. Her scream cut deep into Yugi; he had never seen her suffer so much before. And yet, despite all the pain she was experiencing, she kept on fighting against Marik's magic. It seemed an impossible feat; ancient powers were supposed to be greater than a mortal's strength. But she was doing it. Perhaps she was stronger than the ancient powers of the Millennium Items.

"You pathetic wench! Why do you keep fighting? They care nothing for you! If they did, they would have come to your rescue by now! Are you stupid? Is your head too damn thick for you to see that?" the man snapped.

"…You're wrong," Carrie murmured, a small bit of blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth. "They _do _care…and I'm not stupid…not really. I won't allow you…to use me the same way you used Tea and Joey…I won't hurt Yugi like that. So I guess the only way you can win…is if you kill me. But you…you don't have the balls for that. Hell, I'd be surprised if you had any balls at all."

"You bitch! How do you know that I won't slit your throat right now?" the man growled.

"…If you wanted me dead…you would have killed me instead of capturing me," Carrie stated. "Instead, you wasted your time…trying to make me evil. What a damn fool you really are, Marik. A damn fool, indeed."

"A damn fool I may be, but I am the one calling the shots here! There's no point in continuing this damn game! You will not live to see the sun of another day!" the man shouted.

"…Why? Are you finally going to grow a pair?" Carrie taunted.

"You're going to die right now…alone in this warehouse! Well, not exactly alone…you are surrounded by your enemies! I shall slit your throat with the sharp edge of my Millennium Rod and leave you to be found by Yugi Muto! Perhaps then he'll see what I am truly capable of!"

_**Yugi, I'll take it from here.**_

Without a moment's hesitation, Yugi allowed Yami to take over his body. The spirit ran right towards the cloaked men, not afraid of anything and only concerned with saving Carrie from death. The boy couldn't say the same…seeing Carrie like that had brought him to tears. Yami Mind Crushed the two people that weren't of any importance and reached Marik just as he lifted the Rod over his head. The other guy made no move to help his master as Yami caught the Millennium Rod's sharp edge between two of his fingers.

Marik glanced over his shoulder to see who had stopped him. He muttered some unmentionable curses under his breath as he turned to face the Nameless Pharaoh, still unable to swing the Rod because Yami had shifted his grip.

"You found us quicker than I expected. I thought I would have long put this bitch out of her misery before you trampled upon her body," he said with a bitter tone.

"This is how this is going to go. You're going to leave us and never meddle in our lives again…or you're going to be sent to the Shadow Realm for the rest of time. The choice is yours, Marik. But personally, I'd rather just send you to the Shadow Realm," Yami told him in a somewhat emotionless voice, though Yugi could tell he was pissed.

"You forget that you are not the only one with the powers to banish people to the Shadow Realm or the only one with a Millennium Item. You shouldn't issue threats against someone just as powerful," Marik growled.

"If you were really as powerful as Yami…you would have already brainwashed me," Carrie muttered.

"No one asked for your input, bitch!" Marik snapped. "You have only seen a portion of what I'm capable of! If I so desired, I could kill you without laying a single finger on you!"

"So can anyone else. It's called firing a gun," Carrie shot back.

Marik looked as if he might retaliate, but he was stopped by the other man that was still conscious and standing.

"You have failed in your plan, Marik. We should not continue this useless quarrel that is futile on your part. There is always time. You do not need to do harm to these three at this moment. Let us retreat…and prepare for the next battle. There is much that needs to be accomplished. Do not waste your time on them," the man advised, sounding much wiser than his shorter master.

He didn't seem the least bit happy about it, but he ripped the Rod out of Yami's hand and turned to leave. The other men that had been with him were still unconscious; they would remain there until they awoke and then they would remember who they really were and return to their lives. Marik and his taller minion left Yami and Carrie without causing any more damage, though by the way Marik was shaking and kept sending death glares over his shoulder it was obvious he would like nothing better than to hurt the blonde that had insulted him so much.

Yami freed Carrie from her restraints and offered a hand to help her up. She ignored him and struggled to stand on her own. She refused to meet his gaze, which was hard because he was shorter than her. Yugi thought he saw a few tears in her beautiful green eyes.

"…Two hours and fifteen minutes," she murmured so quietly it was almost inaudible. "That's how long you took…One more minute, and you wouldn't have seen me alive ever again. Thank you for saving me…but you sure took your time, didn't you?"

"You've been a quiet presence lately. We are sorry for taking so long to locate you," Yami apologized as he handed her deck back over. "Will you be all right? You suffered a terrible mental beating…you can hardly stand."

"I'll be fine…I always am," Carrie said, a smile on her face. Even Yugi could tell it was fake. "No-Balls Marik barely hurt me. I've been in worse conditions after fighting Bandit Keith and his gang of losers."

"All right, if you are sure you will be fine," Yami muttered. "Let's go find the others so they don't worry about you."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::End Flashback::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Yami remembered that incident coldly, but Yugi could sense that he regretted his indifference to Carrie's condition after such a mental beating as the one she had been forced to endure. The girl had trouble walking out of that warehouse, and she refused to let even Yugi help her. Those two hours and fifteen minutes of attempted brainwashing had really taken a toll on her, more than she was willing to admit.

_She wouldn't let us help her because we hadn't noticed her absence quicker, _Yugi recalled morosely. _The Battle City tournament...that was when she began to slip our minds. That was when we began to forget about her. Do you think...that our ignorance is what caused her to be hit by that car? _

…_**Carrie wasn't exactly herself when she was struck. When I looked at her heart, all I saw was self-doubt and torn feelings. She was always wondering if we would notice if she didn't show up. It is highly possible that, over time, our ignorance of her could have driven her into the depressed state she was in when she was hit by the car.**_

_That's what I thought you'd say..._

_**Tragedy can give birth to better things. Now we can make sure that Carrie is never put in a similar situation again. We can make her feel as if she belongs and keep her from fading into the background. And in your case, you can love her more than ever before. She'll need it once she recovers…with all the damage she's suffered, I doubt she's going to feel beautiful.**_

_She could have been horribly mangled all over and still be the most beautiful thing in the whole entire world._

_**You're only saying that because she's your girlfriend. Admit it. If her face had been damaged by that car, you would think she was slightly ugly.**_

_...I would not!_

_**Yes, you would.**_

_...All right, maybe a little...but I will still love her, regardless of what she looks like._

_**Loving someone for what's on the inside takes true heart, my friend. I am proud of you.**_

_Thank you, Yami._

The door opened then, which took Yugi's attention away from the girl lying on the bed. He was surprised to see Grandpa standing there; he was supposed to be running the shop for at least another hour. What was he doing there?

"Yugi, I am glad to see you spending so much time with Carrie, but if you keep staying here for so long, I fear you might just wither away," Grandpa said. "You haven't eaten a thing all day, and you hardly sleep anymore. I want you to go home and take care of yourself for a change. It's what Carrie would want you to do. After all, she always worried about other people more than herself, regardless of how hurt she was. If she could, she would probably be yelling at you right now."

The boy was reluctant to leave Carrie's side, but he knew his grandfather was right. He had been in that room for over an hour; that was more than long enough by other people's standards. Slowly, he stood and moved towards the door, casting an uncertain glance in Carrie's direction.

"Now don't you worry, Yugi. I'll keep her company and watch over her for you," Grandpa promised as he took his grandson's seat. "You just get yourself home and take care of yourself for a change. Stop being so caring for once."

Yugi saw Grandpa's teasing smile and couldn't help but return it before leaving the hospital room. The old man sighed, letting out a breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding. He turned his purple gaze on Carrie, who couldn't have returned it even if she had wanted to. The girl had been just like a granddaughter to him and he had been very happy when he saw her with Yugi. He was devastated when she had been hit by the car; he could only imagine what his grandson was going through. He hated to separate them, but if Yugi didn't watch himself, he would just end up in the hospital, too.

_They are too much alike, Yugi and Carrie. Always putting others before themselves,_ Grandpa thought.

"Hello, Carrie. It's good to see you again, though I wish it was under better conditions," the old man told her even though she couldn't respond. "I brought that book you said that you were wanting to read the last time I saw you…I know you probably won't be able to hear me reading, but I can't just sit in a silent room for an hour. If I did, I might be reduced to tears, and you wouldn't want this old guy to cry, now would you? So this will have to do. Here we go."

He began reading the first few chapters of _Inkheart_ to Carrie even though she probably couldn't hear him in her current state. He came every other day and read to her until the book came to a close, and then followed that up with its sequels _Inkspell _and _Inkdeath_. This helped to pass the time and keep his emotions in check. And, as he later found out, Carrie had indeed heard him. It was the only thing to do while she sat alone in the darkness of her consciousness during her coma.

* * *

_A Month After The Accident _

"Come on, Seto! Please let me go to the hospital!" Mokuba begged, his violet eyes pleading more than his words for his older brother to allow him this one favor.

Kaiba's cold blue eyes looked down at his brother. "Are you sick? Are you injured? Do you have cancer? I don't think so. You have no reason to go to the hospital. It stinks of cleaning products and dead people and sickness…If you go there, you have a greater chance of getting sick than if you went around Joey Wheeler."

"Seto! Have you forgotten that Carrie is there? I haven't gotten to see her ever since-" Mokuba caught himself. His brother didn't know about that time when Alyssa had taken him in right after the accident had happened, and she had made him promise to never tell, no matter what. "-she landed in the hospital! You go see her sometimes! Why can't I?"

"…It's different. Haven't you ever heard the saying keep your friends close and your enemies closer? That's what I'm doing when I go check up on her," Kaiba told him.

"Liar! You do it because of Alyssa!" Mokuba accused.

"Well, that might have something to do with it," Kaiba admitted.

"Unlike you, I actually care about Carrie because she's nice to me! And she helped me when I was in trouble…She's helped you, too! I'm her friend, so you should let me go see her so we know if she's getting any better!" Mokuba stated.

"…You're not going to stop bothering me until I let you go, are you?" Kaiba asked.

"No! I'll keep harassing you until you get the limo and tell the chauffeur to take us to the hospital!" Mokuba declared.

Kaiba sighed. "Fine. But we're not staying for too long. You know hospitals make me break out in hives."

So the Kaiba brothers got into the back of their stretch limousine and their driver took them to the hospital. They did make one quick stop along the way because Mokuba wanted to pick something up, which agitated the hell out of his older brother. The dark-haired boy rushed towards the elevator and pressed the button that matched the floor Carrie was on, anxious to see her. Kaiba himself couldn't understand why he was in such a hurry to see a girl lying in a bed without moving. She might as well have been dead; the only thing separating her from a dead person was the constant beeping of the machines she was hooked up to.

As soon as the doors opened, his fluffy-haired brother rushed out of the elevator and towards the room where Carrie lay in a sleep that had lasted for a month now, not waiting for Kaiba to catch up. The businessman walked at a much slower pace towards the room, apologizing to the doctors and nurses Mokuba had cut off as he went. Hospitals made him very uncomfortable for two reasons. Well, three actually. First was his fear of things being shoved into him, such as needles and catheters and IVs. Second was because of when Alyssa had been in the hospital a few months ago during her evil escapade. She had summoned Monsters to spy on her friends, her friends destroyed most of said Monsters, and she suffered tremendous consequences. And third was because of his parents. They had died in a hospital after a terrible car accident when he and Mokuba were just kids.

Lately, he had been feeling more uncomfortable in hospitals than ever before. It might have been because of Carrie, though he kept trying to tell himself that he didn't care about her…she was his worst enemy. And yet she had been in a car accident like his parents had…she was horribly damaged on the inside like Alyssa had been…and she had many things stuck in her. As much as he hated to admit this to himself, he was worried about the girl and hoped she would pull through.

Yugi was there, of course. He came every day. Or so the nurses told Kaiba whenever he inquired about visitors. Mai did the same, but that was expected since they lived together. A dark-haired girl with pink eyes was with him this time. He had seen her a few times in the past, and one of those times had been in this very hospital when Alyssa had wound up weaker than he thought she could have been. Her name was Jessica; she was Carrie's younger half-sister who still lived in New York City. It seemed she had come to see her sister, though Kaiba saw no sign of her mother being there as well. Her dad couldn't show; he had been dead for quite some time now.

Mokuba had already placed the stuffed Blue Eyes White Dragon and bouquet of roses next to all the other junk people had left for Carrie. No matter how many times Kaiba came into that room, it still amazed him how much stuff people brought to those in the hospital. It wasn't like a girl in a coma could appreciate them. But yet the flowers were replaced when they were getting on the brown side, and the room was almost drowning in stuffed animals. There was a pile of get well cards that was almost half as tall as Yugi off in the corner, too. And not a single one of these things had been brought over by Kaiba.

"Hey, Yugi. Hello, Jessica," Mokuba greeted. Kaiba saw his face fluster a bit upon looking at Carrie's younger sister and wondered what the hell his little brother was thinking, fawning over a West. "How is she?"

"The same as she has been. The doctors want to give her the corrective surgeries, but she doesn't have the money for those things. Pegasus is too 'emotional' to pay for it, and Alyssa has been avoiding the hospital ever since the accident," Yugi replied. "I might have to enter another tournament to get the money. There just doesn't seem like another way to help her."

"…How bad is she, really?" Kaiba asked, concerned.

"Well, her right half is flattened. Her ribs aren't healing properly and her lung is collapsed. Many of her other organs were damaged as well, not to mention her bones on that side. She's going to need a lot of surgeries and the estimated cost of them all is over two million dollars," Jessica told him. She knew a lot for someone who didn't visit the hospital that often.

"None of us have that kind of money," Yugi muttered.

"Then we'll just have to find a way to get the money," Mokuba stated. "We can do a bunch of fundraisers at school. We can do dueling tournaments. There are tons of things we can do. It might take some time to reach two million, but if we try, then we could reach that goal."

Kaiba glanced around the room again while his brother discussed these things with Yugi and Jessica. Carrie needed those surgeries if she were to live. He hated her…but Alyssa loved her like they were sisters. If she had asked him to, he would have done anything to save Carrie from life as a total cripple. She wasn't there. But yet…he felt compelled to help her out.

"I'll pay for the surgeries," Kaiba grumbled suddenly, silencing the entire room.

Jessica looked up at him with wide eyes. "…Why would you do that? Carrie hates you, and from what I've heard…the feeling is shared between the two of you. Why would you pay for her surgeries?"

"…I'm not as heartless as I seem," Kaiba replied.

"Kaiba…thank you," Yugi said quietly but courteously.

"Seto, you're the best!" Mokuba exclaimed, hugging his brother.

Kaiba kept to his word and she was able to have her surgeries. Somehow it ended up costing a bit more than two million, but even the amount he paid was pocket change compared to how much he owned. And he didn't expect a dime of it back. Alyssa would have hated him if he made Carrie return it, with or without interest. When she woke up and found out who had made her able to have her surgeries, she was completely surprised. Then she smiled and mentioned something about not being mad at him for sleeping with her cousin anymore.

Seto Kaiba definitely wasn't as heartless as he had once been.

* * *

_A Month And A Day After The Accident_

Tristan waited for Yugi to leave before heading towards Carrie's room. He had gone to see her fewer times than the rest of his friends…even Tea, who wasn't as close to the girl as she could have been, had come more. The brunette felt terrible for not coming sooner, but he didn't like to see a girl he had once crushed on lying still in a hospital bed with the only indication that she was alive the beeping of the machines.

He had gotten the memo from a somewhat happy Yugi that she would be getting her surgeries soon because of a very generous offer by Kaiba. That had surprised Tristan. Why would Seto Kaiba make such an offer when he hated Carrie? Then he assumed he was doing it for Alyssa, who hadn't spoke of Carrie or visited her in over a month. Those two were going out, after all. Kaiba would do whatever it took to make Alyssa happy… even assist in healing his worst enemy.

The chair that Yugi usually sat in was still pulled up next to Carrie's bed. Tristan filled its vacancy even though his visits were usually very short. Looking at her always pained him. Even with the blankets on over her injuries that could be seen through the gown, he could see the unevenness of her body. The right side was practically flat while the left side was of normal height. It was sickening to look at. So he diverted his gaze from the thing that wanted it the most and tried to focus on her unscathed face. Like Yugi, he held her left hand in his own.

"Carrie, you're going to be better soon. It looks like that jerk Kaiba does have something beating inside him," Tristan said half-teasingly.

There was no indication that she had heard him, but that was normal…now. He sighed.

"I'm not good at talking…you know that well enough. I'm even worse at expressing my emotions," Tristan admitted with an unnecessary nervous smile. "I just want to say that I'm sorry for not visiting you as much as the others. It's just that…I miss you so much. I miss the way you used to light up a room by just being there, even if we didn't really notice. I miss the way you used to laugh at everything Joey and I said, even if it wasn't really that funny; it made us feel a little better. I miss your smile. Hell, I even miss you kicking my ass every day that our lives weren't in danger. I don't like you the same way I used to, but I miss you all the same."

The only response he got was the beeping of the machines measuring Carrie's vital signs.

"…So…I tried out for the football team. The American version, not the one that's called soccer over there. I almost made it on, but…somehow I screwed up. Coach said that it would be better if I waited until you were out of the hospital before trying sports," Tristan went on since there was nothing better to do. "And just the other day, I asked Serenity out on a date. She turned me down because she was afraid of how Joey would react to that, and she thought I was just trying to take my mind off of you. She's kinda upset because of what happened, too. But you probably already knew that since she's visited a few times. So I got no distraction and no girl. Damn, am I a lucky guy."

The machine beeped a few times more than usual, and Tristan thought that Carrie might have been laughing at him. He smiled slightly at that thought.

"Well, I've got nothing else to say, really. It was nice seeing you again, I guess…and I'll try to come more often," Tristan promised, standing up and pecking Carrie on the forehead. "You just get better, okay? The sooner you wake up, the sooner I can stop talking like I'm talking to myself."

* * *

_A Month And A Week And Three Days After The Accident_

Joey halted in telling Carrie about his humorous day at school (it was actually pretty bad on his part but funny for everyone else) when a pretty blonde woman who wore a lot of purple walked into the room. They hadn't been able to visit for awhile because Carrie had entered a few of her surgeries, but today there was nothing planned for her. The unevenness of her body was slowly disappearing. But that wasn't what Joey's eyes were fixed on at that moment.

"Joseph Wheeler! If your gaze doesn't divert this moment, I'm going to have to kick your ass!" Mai warned when she noticed his gaze on her chest. "You men are all the same! All you care about is boobs! Now I'm starting to wonder if I should let you see Carrie alone!"

"Don't be silly, Mai! One of her boobs was crushed by that car. There's no reason to look at hers," Joey teased. When he noticed Mai found no humor in his statement, he quickly changed the subject and the direction of his gaze. "So how've you been?"

"As good as one can be when her best friend and roommate is in the hospital," Mai replied bitterly, crossing her arms. "How about you? How are you and Serenity doing lately?"

"We could be better. Carrie's accident really tore her up. They didn't know each other that well, but Serenity is good friends with Jessica, so I guess that's why," Joey said.

"How are you feeling about all of this?" Mai asked.

Joey sighed and lost his smile. "I dunno. Me and Carrie weren't that close. I mean, I was her first friend when she moved here from NYC, but we've never been as close as she is to Yugi and Yami. I feel terrible…but at the same time, I don't feel the same kind of attachment to her that the others feel. I don't know how to feel, you know? The only other person I can think of that might have the same feeling is Tea, but that's because she and Carrie have always been at odds. Tea likes Yugi, and Carrie stole him from under her nose."

"…It's all right, Joseph. It's normal to have mixed feelings about someone," Mai told him, softening her tone. "All that matters is that you care."

"I do care. A lot. She's my friend, you know. I can't not care that she was in a terrible accident. And she's the only girl I know that can kick my ass in thirty seconds flat. I just hope when she leaves this hospital that she'll be as great as she was before the accident, if not better," Joey remarked. "And I want to be a better friend. If we hadn't been so ignorant, she wouldn't be lying in that bed. It's our fault she got hit by that car."

"…It's not all your fault. Carrie shares some of the blame for not looking where she was going. And I…I saw how she was becoming, but I still let her go that morning to meet up with you guys. I could have told her to stay home, that you guys weren't worth the pain …but I didn't. That day…was the worst in my life. When I heard that she had been hit right in front of the game shop, I was in immediate denial. Then I broke down and cried until I couldn't cry anymore. I came here and found you guys…and I'll admit, I was pissed because I thought it was all your fault for not being there for her. Then I remembered it was me that let her go and my anger faded away. Only recently have I put any blame on Carrie. But I don't want you blaming yourself, Joey. Everyone shares the blame…even Carrie."

During her little remembrance speech, Mai had moved closer to the blonde boy, who had been holding his head in his hands until she touched his shoulder. She would have made herself eye level with him, but since he was a boy, she thought better of it and remained standing. He glanced up at her and she gave him a wan smile. A similar one appeared on his face, which in turn made her feel a small burst of happiness in her heart. Then again, that could have been her pepperoni pizza coming back to haunt her with heartburn.

"Do you feel better now, Joseph?" she inquired.

He nodded. "A little, yeah. Thanks, Mai."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "Now, I do believe that you were telling Carrie about how you got mugged in gym class. Would you be willing to share the story with me, too?"

"Of course, Mai! I love an audience!" Joey exclaimed. "Okay! So these three jocks that had something against me were hitting me below the belt several times. You know, hitting stuff they don't have…and then they gave me an atomic wedgie. My underwear managed to go over my head without breaking! And it was then that I regretted not changing them for the past week…"

* * *

_A Month And Three Weeks After The Accident_

Tea came into the hospital room after her dance lessons had come to an end. She had never been close to Carrie; in fact, there were times when she wished the blonde would just disappear off the face of the earth. That was, of course, because Carrie had stolen Yugi and, more importantly, Yami from Tea even though they had known Tea longer. Then the accident happened…and hating someone that was in a coma would be morally wrong. So she settled for mutual indifference and came to visit every now and then when none of her other friends had anything to do.

Seeing Carrie lying there always made Tea feel a tad bit guilty. As mentioned before, she sometimes wished for Carrie to disappear or die. Then she was struck by that car…and Tea saw for the first time how much Yugi truly loved the girl. She saw or heard that Yugi came to the hospital every day to see her. Not a single thing could stop him. Not Bakura. Not that one lame evil dude that Yami had taken down within thirty minutes. Not anyone. If she were to die, he would never be the same. The person he would become after Carrie's death…Tea didn't want to see. All she knew was that he'd be very, very depressed and seeing him that way would break her heart.

She dropped her duffel bag on the floor beside the chair that Yugi usually sat in but that was now empty before collapsing into that very chair. Tea was sore from the crazy dance routine her instructor had forced her and every other student to go through. Honestly, the last thing on her mind was Carrie. She probably wouldn't have even gone to the hospital if Mai hadn't called her up right after her lessons to remind Tea that she hadn't visited lately. She found the Tylenol in her stuff and popped a couple of pills to ease some of her pain so that this already unpleasant visit could become somewhat bearable.

"Enemies aren't supposed to console enemies," Tea muttered as her soreness subsided.

She could imagine exactly what Carrie would have to say in response to that. "People aren't supposed to talk about friendship 24/7. So there!"

"I'm only here for Yugi and because Mai keeps hounding me to come…and because we're acquaintances. Besides, the saying is to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I'm taking care of that right now," Tea remarked.

And Carrie, if she could talk, would have said, "Pfft! If you were in a coma, I wouldn't come see you unless Yugi was going! Other than that, I wouldn't set one foot into the hospital to check up on you! You could be dying of terminal cancer or some disease and I still wouldn't visit! I don't care what you are! Enemy, friend, acquaintance…it doesn't matter! I hate you!"

Tea sighed. _All right. Carrie wouldn't be __**that**__ mean to me. But she would have some rude response to whatever I said._

"Carrie, as much as it _pains_ me to say this…You can't let yourself get hurt like this again. And you can't die…not until I have a chance to win Yugi and Yami over," Tea told the unconscious blonde.

Carrie would have snorted. "Yeah! I let myself get run over by that car! I let my ribs get crushed, my arm and leg become useless, and all my organs get pulverized! I intentionally hurt the people that care about me!" Then she would have rolled her eyes. "I wasn't planning on getting hurt this time, and I don't plan on getting hurt ever again, let alone dying. And if Yugi and Yami had feelings for you, don't you think you'd be the one dating them instead of me?"

Tea took a deep breath. "That might be true. But if I don't get one of them, then who will ever love a girl like me?"

"Have you met every guy in the freaking world? Do you really travel that much?"

"Well, no…"

"Then you don't know that there isn't another guy for you out there. So until you search the whole entire world, keep your claws out of my boyfriend and his other side."

Tea smiled slightly and stood up, grabbing her duffel bag. She knew Carrie so well. Perhaps too well…Now that she had an imagined conversation with the girl, she wondered if she would ever be willing to see her disappear. Life would be boring if she got everything she wanted. Everyone needed someone to spar with.

"You just get better, Carrie. Then we can fight over those two," Tea said before leaving the hospital.

* * *

_A/N: Very long chapter for a story that really won't be long...at least, I don't think it will be. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. I was busy with other things...But here's another chapter for those of you who have been waiting for it. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 3

When Carrie had first woken from her coma, she was completely out of it. She had no idea where she was or what had happened. For awhile, she was unsure who anyone was, including herself. She tried to leave, but that was when she felt the pain long lost over her months of lying still. She bit her lip to keep from screaming and her left hand clutched the side of her hospital bed so hard that her knuckles turned white. Yugi had immediately gone to get the nurse, who gave Carrie a powerful sedative to ease her pain.

Mostly all of her surgeries had been done before that point. She had only a few more to go. Everything was being repaired so that it almost looked like it had before the accident. True, there would be scarring, but with luck she would be next to normal and no one would even suspect her of having been hit by a car. But even having surgeries to repair physical damage could not stop the pain completely all in one shot. Right now, Carrie looked very weak…maybe even weaker than she had when she was just in a coma.

The others came over as soon as he told them the good news. It was awkward since she was so out of it, but they were proving something to her right then. They would always be there for her when she needed them, even when she wasn't at her best.

It took a few hours, but her mind finally cleared. She took in all of the faces around her, but something had changed in her eyes. Her jaw was set hard, as were her eyes. It was as if she were angry at something. Yugi hadn't been sure what she, someone who had been in a coma for over two months, could be angry about, but with Carrie, one was never left guessing for long. She was vocal with her anger.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed, startling everyone with her outburst.

"What do you mean? We're your friends. You were in the hospital, so we came to see you," Joey told her.

"The hell you are! The only people in this room that are my friends are Grandpa and Mai! The rest of you are damn posers! You never cared about me! You probably just came to make sure I wasn't dead!" Carrie exclaimed.

That statement hurt Yugi. She didn't even believe in him anymore.

"We're not posers, Carrie! We are your friends! Why else would we have come here every day that we could to check up on you? Why do you think we're here now?" Tristan shouted.

"Because Mai told you to and you had nothing better to do!" Carrie rebuked.

"Where the hell is this all coming from? What have we done to deserve your yelling at us?" Tea demanded, pissed.

"You…you've done a lot of shit to deserve more than just me yelling at you! But the rest of you…" Carrie grew quiet then, and Yugi thought he saw tears in her eyes before she turned her face away from them. "…You made me think we were friends…and then I faded into the background unless I got in trouble…and then after the issue was resolved…I wouldn't matter anymore. Not to anyone…not even my own boyfriend."

Carrie quickly wiped away her tears and turned her angry gaze back on her 'friends'. "So now that you know I'm becoming all better, why don't you get your ugly-ass faces out of here? I never want to see any of you again! Only my real friends can stay! The rest of you get the hell out of here before I punch your faces in! I might be a cripple, but my left side is still as strong as it was before, so I can still hurt you!"

"Fine! I never wanted to come here, anyway! I hope you never walk again!" Tea snapped before walking quickly out of the hospital room.

Joey and Tristan reluctantly followed her, though the latter of the two looked like he might hurt the female brunette for what she said. Yugi was the last to leave, but that was because he was the most hurt by what Carrie had said. He kept glancing over his shoulder at her, but she had her face turned away from the door. He closed the door behind him, and that was where he broke down.

The tears came from his violet eyes like a river; he couldn't stop them if he tried. Now he knew everything that he had suspected was true. Carrie had felt neglected by all of them and that was why she had been hit by that car. And now she was pissed at everyone for 'acting' like they cared now that she was in the hospital and in real danger. She was pissed at everyone for treating her like she was nothing more than a shadow…

Including him.

He didn't care that he was sitting on the floor of a hospital with his back up against the wall. He didn't care that pedestrians and medical personnel alike were giving him odd glances as they walked past Carrie's room. He didn't care that he was crying in public.

All he cared about was her.

If only he could have let her see that before the accident. If only he hadn't been so blind to her feelings. If only he had put her before everyone else. If only he had paid attention to her. If only he had been a better friend, a better lover…then she wouldn't be in the situation or emotional turmoil that she was now facing. Perhaps she was right about them all…they really weren't her friends. They all just thought they were.

He wanted to go and talk to her, to _beg_ for her to forgive him. He was that desperate to make things right that he would actually get on his knees and beg. He would really do anything to get her to like him again.

But he knew that wouldn't do anything but piss her off more.

Now if only his heart would get the memo.

Yami stopped him even before he stood up.

_**Going in there right now wouldn't be wise, Yugi. You know how Carrie is when she's mad, **_Yami reminded his hikari. _**I know you want to make things right and put your heart at ease, but you must think about what she would want right now. She has no recollection of the time when she was in her coma. All she remembers is how we were before the accident. And we hurt her.**_

_...So what am I supposed to do? _Yugi wanted to know, sounding kinda desperate.

_**There is only one thing you can do. Go home and wait for her to calm down. What happens after that is her decision. She might leave all of us behind because of our neglecting her, and if that is what she wants, then we'll have to accept it. But if she decides to keep her ties to us, then we will just have to try harder to be better friends so we are never put in this place again.**_

_I...I don't want to lose her._

_**Right now, there is no chance that you will be able to influence her. She's pissed at us, too, and I think I know why. The situation where she felt you had turned your back to her just like the rest of us.**_

_...When?_

_**When you promised to come to her after Alyssa murdered her father and didn't show.**_

Yugi remembered that. It was when Alyssa had been possessed by an ancient evil and was being crazy. She had sent Soul Tiger to take care of Carl when he came to retrieve Carrie. Jessica had been there when her dad had been killed. Carrie had called him crying in the middle of the night when he was a bit groggy and told him to turn on the news. Performance of the Sword had taken care of that and turned on the volume so he could hear who the victim was. She had been torn to bits and he had promised to be over there in a little while.

But he had forgotten about her.

He had been trying to convince himself that Alyssa couldn't have been the one responsible for Carl's death. When he should have been consoling his girlfriend, a Duel Monster and a spirit had been telling him that her cousin was possessed and they needed to find a way to stop whatever was in control of her. She must have been waiting for around ninety minutes before she gave up on him and came over to his place. What had she gone through during that time when she waited for him to come? And why hadn't Yami or Performance of the Sword reminded him of his promise?

_**I was focused on Alyssa just as much as you were, if not more. And Performance of the Sword was probably the same way,**_ Yami told him when he read the boy's thoughts.

_...I'm a horrible person, _Yugi murmured.

_**No you're not. You're just not as good of a friend as you thought you were. None of us are, for that matter. But there is always time for improving who we are.**_

_So I'm just supposed to sit around and wait to see what Carrie decides to do?_

_**Yes.**_

_...I...I don't know if I can do that._

_**If you try anything else, you might just permanently damage your relationship.**_

_(Sigh.) I don't like this...but Carrie matters more to me than even you. I guess...I guess I have no choice._

_**Accepting it is just the first step. Now you have to pick yourself off the ground and put distance between the two of you. If Mai opens that door and finds you here, that won't go well for anyone, either.**_

_Yeah. She'll probably make a scene of it all._

Somehow, Yugi managed to get off the floor. He wiped his tears away quickly even though he knew there would be no way to hide that he had been crying. Then, with one last heart-wrenching glance over his shoulder at the door, he walked away.

* * *

Carrie wasn't alone, but she felt comfortable enough to cry in front of the only two friends she had left. Well, two of the few. She was hesitant to say that Mokuba and Serenity were against her since they had real reasons for not being around her so often, what with Mokuba being Kaiba's brother and Serenity living in another area with her mother. But her heart felt like it was ripped in two now that she had let her feelings be known.

Her room was full of crap…she was now just realizing that. Flowers that looked alive, stuffed creatures of all sorts, a pile of cards that rivaled Yugi's height…a whole bunch of crap from people who were somewhat close to her. It touched her heart a bit to see this, but then it was just a few dollars out of their pocket to express their sympathy for her condition. Had any of those people actually come to see her more than to drop off their gift or card? She would never know…

She spotted a stuffed Blue Eyes amongst the other stuffed creatures and a thought crossed her mind. Could Kaiba have come to see her? She shook her head. There was no chance in hell that he would see her. She hated him, he hated her, and they both hoped that the other died a very painful death. If he came at all, it was for Mokuba or Alyssa's sake. Still, she couldn't resist reaching for it and holding it to her chest while she wept silently.

"…Carrie…are you going to be okay?" Mai asked, concerned.

"…I…I don't know…Give me some time," Carrie sobbed, hiding her eyes in a curtain of blonde hair.

"Take all the time you need. We'll be here for you," Grandpa assured her.

"…Do you think I was…too hard on them?" Carrie inquired.

"On some of them…maybe a little. But they deserve to know how they made you feel, even if you haven't been awake for a long time. The way you were feeling when the accident occurred…we know now," Mai told her.

"It's funny…I don't even remember the day it happened. Not waking up, not getting ready, not leaving the apartment, and I especially don't remember being struck by that car," Carrie admitted. "I can remember everything before that day. That point in time till now is completely blank in my mind. Why is that?"

"You did hit your head pretty hard," Grandpa remarked.

"Yeah…from what you guys told me, that would make sense," Carrie murmured. "…Though, I do remember you reading to me while I was out of it. You did it so you wouldn't break down in tears in a silent room…and also because I liked that series. And Joey told me stories about his horrible days…Tristan kept me updated on his fallouts…and Tea was a bitch…But I don't remember ever hearing Yugi or Alyssa…or anyone else, for that matter."

"The Kaibas came every now and then. In fact, Seto is the one who's paying for all of your surgeries," Mai informed her.

Carrie looked up at her with wide eyes that were still brimming with tears. "Really? Why would he do something like that?"

Mai shrugged. "The only reason he gave anyone was that he wasn't as heartless as everyone thought."

"…That was kind of him. I don't know how I'll ever repay him for that," Carrie said, glancing down at the Blue Eyes in her left arm with a small smile. "Heh…Guess this means I can't be mad at him for sleeping with Alyssa anymore. After what he's done for me…that would be wrong. Besides, those two are meant for each other. Damn! I can't believe I actually said that or let myself believe that! I really must have hit my head pretty hard."

"Or perhaps it's just one of those things you hate to admit is true," Grandpa stated with a grin.

"Yeah. That's a possibility," Carrie agreed. Then her face fell again. "…What about Yugi and Alyssa? Did they come?"

"Yes, Yugi came every day. He sat at your bedside for hours on end, and if he spoke at all, it was just a few words. He…he cried a lot during the first few days of you lying there because it was so painful…but he cared enough to never let anything separate him from you. I know it didn't seem like it before the accident, but that boy loves you more than anything else in the world. He'd never abandon you when you were in need…not even if the world was ending," Grandpa remarked.

"R-Really?" Carrie asked in a small voice. _He came to see me every day? Even when evil threatened the world? Perhaps he deserves a second chance, _she thought. Then she remembered that he had forgotten her when Carl was killed and shook her head. _A few hours in the hospital doesn't make up for the pain he put me through...He'll have to earn my trust again...just like everyone else._

"…What about Alyssa?" she voiced after some time.

Mai and Grandpa exchanged glances.

"…She did come…but only once, after you were rushed to the hospital. She hasn't come any other time because she didn't want to see you like that," Mai told her.

Carrie diverted her gaze again upon hearing that. _Even when I was weak...she abandoned me. My worst enemies come, and yet she keeps a distance. She's my cousin, for Ra's sake ...and she only came that one time? Do I really mean that little to her? Or...or maybe she loves me enough that she can't stand to see me so close to death. Oh, who am I kidding? She doesn't care about me. I'm just her Japanese-American cousin who got run over by a car. What do I matter to her, the rich and beautiful niece of Maximillion Pegasus?_

"What happens now?" Carrie asked after a few minutes of dead silence had passed.

"Well, first, you finish having your surgeries. Then you go through physical therapy cuz let's face it; your body isn't what it used to be and it's been forever since you moved a thing on your left side, not to mention your right side. And when you're all better, you'll go back to the norm of things. You know…school, dueling, shopping, kicking the baddies' asses…all the good stuff," Mai replied.

"…What about my social life? All that I've ever known in terms of friendship…has been a lie that tore me apart so much that I was foolish enough to cross in front of a moving vehicle. Is it worth trying to patch up?" Carrie wanted to know.

"If you want my opinion, you can't completely blame them for your depression. Many events led up to that day…bad things in your life. I understand that you felt like you didn't matter to your friends, that you were nothing more than a shadow in the background. But Yugi, Joey, and Tristan are human. They are far from perfect. They made a mistake by not paying you any attention. But I bet that if you had chosen not to go over to my game shop one of those days that you doubted they would notice you, they would have called you up and demanded to know if you were okay. You see, you don't have to be the center of attention for you to matter. They noticed you and just didn't show it. You should give those three another chance. But that's just the opinion of an outdated old man. I wouldn't take my word for anything," Grandpa told her.

"I agree with Mr. Muto about those boys. They've always cared about you. When I came here around the same time as one of them, I saw what they would try to keep hidden from the rest of the world. Tristan still loves you, even if it's not as much as he used to. Joey, though you two aren't as close as you could be, felt bad about not feeling the same attachment to you as Tristan and Yugi. But that didn't stop him from coming to see you and telling you about getting mugged by gay jocks that made him realize he should change his underwear every day. And Yugi…though he wasn't there when your father was murdered…he cares about you more than he does himself. That boy is completely in love with you and would do anything to make you happy. So let Tea be a bitch. You don't need her as a friend. She was never your friend, anyway. Just let the guys have another chance," Mai advised.

Carrie took in what they were saying and remembering the good things the guys of the gang had done for her in the past. These were things buried in her past that she had forgotten with the passing of time. Her depression had washed them away. Now they were surfacing again.

When she was the new girl in Domino High, Joey had been the first person to walk over to her and say hi. It might have had something to do with her not being ugly, but she hadn't thought of it in that light when she met him. She just wanted to not be alone anymore, to have at least one friend in the whole entire world. And he was a great friend then. He had been kind and funny…and when they dueled on that first day, she had him beat in five minutes. His reaction to that quick beating was priceless, but even after being creamed by her, he laughed it off and never revoked their friendship. They might not have been best friends, but he was always there for her when she was glum.

It didn't take her long to meet Tristan after that; he and Joey were best friends, after all. At first, she thought he might be weird because of how he wore his hair-at a point-but she knew it was wrong to judge someone by their hairstyle. He was just like Joey in personality, though he was a bit more of a tough guy and picked on his blonde friend more than the average person. When they first met, Tristan instantly had a crush on her, which made their friendship kinda awkward, but over time, his feelings faded away so that things weren't so weird. He had gotten her out of some pretty tight spots in the past, some of which involved her long-time stalker Bandit Keith. And he had always been one of the first people to realize when something was amiss with her and would try to make things better if he could.

Then there was Yugi…the King of Games. Well, not by himself. That title was shared with that annoying spirit in the Puzzle who called himself Yami. Joey had introduced him to her not long after she had met Tristan. He was sweet and generous and shy, so unfitting of someone who was the best at Duel Monsters. His hair was weirder than Tristan's, so much so that Tristan's looked normal, but it suited him quite nicely. It didn't take them long to become the best of friends…and then after that, it wasn't long until they realized their feelings went beyond the boundaries of friendship. They had started dating a little bit before the Battle City Tournament, much to Tea and Yami's dislike, and he had been her child-like hero ever since. She would trust her life to him in a heartbeat if the enemy was a badass duelist. If it was a big bad tough guy or some evil that wasn't exactly one that could be beaten with cards, then she would take care of that person.

Carrie sniffed and gave a sad attempt at a sigh. "…I can't just forgive them like that… They'll have to earn my trust again. It'll take time."

"Hon, you have nothing but time," Mai stated.

Carrie gave her a half-hearted smile. That was very true. There was no telling how long she would be in the hospital or if she would leave at all. The months, or even years, ahead of her would be full of trials and a ton of pain. She was used to pain…it was the trials part she wasn't so sure about.

And she really did hate needles and things being stuck in her…

Why did she have to get hit by that stupid car?

* * *

_A/N: A short chapter compared to the last one. What did you think? Please tell me. Oh! And if you're lost about some of the things mentioned in here, like the dark Alyssa incident, that comes from ScarlethasAngstyPhoenixPowers' story, __**That's Not Love.**__ It's an interesting read if you're interested. Well, thanks for reading this. Have a nice day!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Sorry for the delay. Here's another chapter. Please enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 4

Carrie didn't speak to any of her former friends for weeks and if they were seen in the halls, the doctors told them to leave. She was completely isolating herself from them, and trying to keep them in the dark. The only way they knew she was recovering was through Grandpa and Mai, who kept them up-to-date on her recovery. The surgeries were finished; all that was left was natural healing and physical therapy.

If it wasn't for Grandpa, Yugi would have thought that Carrie had given up on him for good. But the old man assured him that she was thinking things over and more focused on recovering than her social life. He said she spoke about Yugi all the time, wanting to know how he was doing and reminiscing the good times with him. Grandpa also said that even though Carrie was thinking about him all the time, she wouldn't allow him back into her life so soon. He would have to earn her trust again, and after that, her love. A heart so easily broken was not one so easily repaired. Time was the best remedy for such pain; no one could rush it.

Yami kept his mind occupied as often as he could in order to keep his hikari from breaking down. He knew that he couldn't keep Yugi's mind free of Carrie; when one's heart yearned for someone, nothing could change that. But if Yugi let himself think about her all the time, Yami doubted the boy would still be functional. He even resorted to annoying his hikari so much that they would yell at each other for hours. At least he wouldn't be thinking of Carrie then.

It also helped when someone was trying to take over the world.

Then Yugi received word that Carrie was able to walk again. She had a small limp and it took a lot out of her to walk, but she would be able to walk normally soon. The day his grandfather told him that, he smiled brighter than he had ever done before and nothing could take that smile away the whole day. Even if he couldn't see her, it heartened him to know she was recovering. Unlike Tea, he wanted her to be able to walk again.

Speaking of Tea, the gang was not on speaking terms with her. After the way she had acted around Carrie, they finally decided to un-friend her and avoided the friendship creep at all costs. Yugi would say hi to her every now and then, but before he could get into a conversation, Joey and Tristan would pull him away, or if he were by himself, Yami would take over and tell Tea off. She was now an outcast, but they didn't care. Well, Yugi cared a little, but he had grown tired of her insulting Carrie all the time.

Now all that Yugi hoped for was for Carrie to take him back, for him to have that chance to gain her trust once more.

Would that time ever come?

* * *

Carrie sat next to the window in the chair that Yugi had sat in when she was in her coma, no longer feeling like laying in a bed all day. Nothing was really hooked up to her anymore now that she could kinda walk and her life wasn't in danger. She still spent her days in the hospital because her physical strength was still pretty weak. Walking was difficult, but unfortunately for her, writing was not. She could write with both hands, so even if her right side wasn't working too well, she could still do the over two months' amount of homework her teachers had dropped off for her to complete. That was what she was doing now; she hated every moment of it. Most of it confused her, but who could she ask for help? Certainly not the gang. She wasn't ready to forgive them just yet. The same went for Alyssa, who she had also forbidden to come visit her. Who else went to their school that she could ask to help her?

She didn't have to wait long for an answer to that question. Someone entered her room that she knew would know this stuff…even if he wasn't willing to help his archenemy.

"Hello, Kaiba," Carrie greeted with a half-hearted smile. "What brings you to my solitude on a day when there's sure to be work that Kaiba Corp. needs to complete?"

"…I came to see what my pocket change did for you," Kaiba replied. "You look a lot better than you did the last time I visited."

"Yeah. I'm not unconscious and peaceful anymore. I can walk and talk and write…and I'm cursing that last bit. Now I have no excuse for not doing this accursed homework," Carrie grumbled, indicating the math she was attempting to do that was much more advanced than she thought math had a mind to be. "But thank you for paying for my surgeries. I have no idea how I'll ever repay you for being so nice."

"I don't expect you to pay me back. You'd never be able to make that much money in your entire life. I just did it out of the kindness of my ice-cold heart," Kaiba muttered.

Carrie smiled up at him. "I know. And that's why you finally have my blessing for you to be with Alyssa. I really don't care what you do with that woman now; as far as I'm concerned, she is in no way related to me."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"…She's abandoned me too much. I can't exactly love someone who doesn't return the feeling. That's why I dumped the gang; it's only far that I do the same to her," Carrie told him.

Kaiba felt like telling her she was wrong, that Alyssa cared a lot about Carrie. Someone who didn't care wouldn't have spent days crying under her desk. Someone who didn't care wouldn't have been silent and lost all livelihood, only speaking when she had no other choice. Someone who didn't care wouldn't have come into his office every morning asking how her cousin was doing and feeling bad about not seeing her in that weakened state. Someone who didn't care wouldn't have been afraid of seeing their cousin lying still in that hospital room in a way that looked so much like death. But he could see the pain in Carrie's eyes about that subject, and even though he would have taken pleasure in causing her pain and getting into an argument with her, he didn't dare test her gratitude.

"So who have you kept in your life?" he asked.

"Mai, Grandpa Muto, you, Bakura, Mokuba, and Serenity," Carrie said. "That's it… besides my sister, of course. She had a real reason for not always being here for me since she's in another country on the other side of the world. But for the most part…I'm alone."

"You cut Yugi out of your life? I'm surprised, to say the least. That little runt was here every day by your bedside. If that's not being here for you, I don't know what is."

Carrie clutched the stuffed Blue Eyes she had been holding even closer to her chest, dropping the difficult math to the floor as she did so. "It's not about what he did while I was in the coma. It's about what he did _before_ the accident that led to my depression and led to me not looking where I was going. He ignored me just like the rest of them…so I dropped him just like everyone else."

"I ignored you, too."

"Not as much as you think. Sure, your eyes were on Alyssa a lot, but you would manage to get in arguments with me that lasted more than five minutes. My friends barely spoke to me because there were more important things than Carrie West. At least you cared enough to call me all those mean names."

At that, Kaiba smirked. Then he took on a serious tone. "…Are you still depressed?"

"Well, let me put it this way. I'm alone almost all day with stuffed animals, dying flowers, and a huge pile of homework as my only constant company. I'm down as down can get. In fact, down is looking down at me and laughing because it's no longer the lowest point. I can't really get up from this point, no matter how hard I try. I don't know what to do anymore."

Carrie looked very distressed, more so than he could recall ever seeing her before. He remembered once when he was really depressed and all hell seemed to have broken loose in his life. He had given into his depression and he wouldn't have been standing here today if Alyssa hadn't quickly come to his rescue. Her love had made her keep him alive and made him refrain from trying to take his life ever again. He didn't exactly like Carrie, but even he could see she was standing on that brink of no return. She would be gone if something good didn't happen to her.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, an act that, in the past, would have resulted in her pushing it off and yelling at him. She glanced up at him with surprise that he would even think about touching her.

"…I know you're depressed right now, but you must keep holding on. I've been where you are now, only the events that brought me to that point were not the same. I've tried to take a way out of this world, to end my pain and the pain that I had caused others for good. It didn't work. You know that because Alyssa called you while she was trying to keep me alive and after she learned that I wasn't going to die. And I'm glad I didn't pass away. But Carrie, you mustn't let your depression consume you. If you took your life, I don't think even I would be the same. You can't commit suicide…not after all that you've managed to pull through."

"…I understand, Kaiba. But how do I keep from falling into the darkness?" Carrie wanted to know.

"You let your friends back in."

Carrie looked taken aback by his suggestion. She was about to protest, but Kaiba spoke first.

"I know you feel that they betrayed you and ignored you. But they…and it kills me to say this…but they are good-hearted people that care about you more than they'll let on. What you need right now is not to be alone. You need someone around to love you. And if you're not going to let them all back inside, at least let Yugi. He was good for you and has remained so even without you knowing it. He's like Alyssa is for me, only for you."

Carrie seemed to think it over for a bit. She sighed.

"All right. I'll call him up tomorrow and ask him to come. But I'm not going to forgive him as easily as you did Alyssa when she was all psychotic. And if it just makes me uncomfortable to be around him, I'm calling you up and chewing your ass out. Got it?"

Kaiba smirked. "Got it. Now…do you need help with your homework?"

"Why? Are you going to be nice and help me out again?"

"That's what I was thinking about doing. Unless you don't want my help."

"Right now, I'm willing to accept any help that comes around."

"Then I guess I have no choice. I have to help a cripple."

"I won't be crippled forever, you know. In a matter of weeks, I'll be back to my full strength and I'll be able to kick your ass again."

"Then I won't have to hold back my hatred."

"Same here."

"Call me as soon as you're back to normal. We'll start hating each other again at that exact moment in time."

"You bet. I won't forget because I can't wait to call you rude names again."

* * *

Yugi was asleep when the phone rang that morning. It was around eight on a Saturday; he was exhausted from not going to bed until midnight after arguing with Yami. He had gone to sleep angry even though no one was supposed to do that and was in the middle of a good dream with Carrie involved. Not even that annoying ring could make him wake up; he wouldn't let it. He was grateful when it stopped…but not for long. Grandpa started calling his name. That was worse than the ringing phone. Groaning, he rolled onto his back and opened his eyes.

_Who in their right mind would call this early on a Saturday? _Yugi wondered as he told his grandfather he would be down in a minute.

_**Someone with no sense of time, **_Yami replied. _**If it's that stupid Tea girl, just hang up.**_

_That would be rude._

_**It would befit someone like her then. She was very rude to a certain blonde girl.**_

_I suppose that's true._

Yugi took the phone from his grandfather's hand.

"Hello?" he said rather groggily.

"Hey Yugi," a familiar feminine voice greeted from the other end.

"Carrie?" He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice when he realized who was speaking to him. She had cut her ties and hadn't seen him in weeks, and now she had decided to call him. Was this a good sign? Was she planning on giving him and the others the second chance they had been waiting for?

She giggled. "Yeah, it's me, and yeah, I'm talking to you. Listen, I know we haven't exactly been on speaking terms for awhile because of the past, but…many people have advised me that it would be wise to let my friends back in…to let them have a second chance. I probably would have taken longer to call you…but I have Mount Homework in this room and I don't think I'm ever going to finish it all. So I guess what I'm trying to say is…will you come and lend me a hand?"

"Of course, Carrie," Yugi replied without hesitation.

"Thanks," Carrie murmured. "I guess I'll see you soon."

"I'll be there around nine," Yugi promised.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Carrie warned.

"Trust me; I don't make the same mistakes twice," Yugi stated. "See you soon."

"Bye, Yugi."

_**Well, that was unexpected, **_Yami commented as his hikari placed the phone back in its cradle. _**Of all the people I suspected of calling, she was the last person I would have thought of. Perhaps she is beginning to think you are worth giving another shot.**_

_It seems that way. I don't want to let her down ever again._

_**Yugi, it's just homework.**_

_Yeah, but it's also like a test in a way. You know, to see if I will come over or not. I didn't back when Alyssa murdered her father and I said I would...Perhaps she wants to see if I'll hold true to my word this time. Even if it's just homework that's falling to pieces around her, it matters to me._

_**All right. You're the crazy boyfriend. Go wild.**_

_Gee, thanks for the support._

_**Anytime.**_

It didn't take long for Yugi to get dressed and make himself completely presentable for the girl he was trying to win back. He would have skipped breakfast, but Yami pestered him into eating something. Then he was out that door and walking at a fast pace towards the hospital, not caring that he would arrive much earlier than he had told Carrie. All that mattered was that he showed up without being late…

And that he got to see her beautiful face again.

He knew where her room was by heart with all the times he had visited in the past. Unlike the other times he had recently tried to see her, the doctors didn't tell him to go away as he walked that way. It seemed that Carrie had given them a heads-up about him being allowed to see her that day. His heart was racing; he worried about saying the wrong thing or doing something wrong to make her hate him again. He reached to turn the doorknob, unable to hear himself think over his doubts and the loud thumping of his heart.

Carrie glanced up from her seat beside the window; he was surprised to see her out of the hospital bed and in normal clothes. He would have thought she was completely fine… except when she stood up to greet him. She was definitely favoring her right side and looked like it took a lot of her strength to do something that simple. Still, he smiled at her because he was glad to see how far she had recovered in such a short period of time.

"You're early," Carrie commented, glancing at the clock in her room that read eight thirty. "I thought I was going to be alone for another half hour. Please…come in and take a seat cuz trust me; when you get a good view of what I have to complete by the time I'm out of the hospital, you're going to need the chair."

Her pile of homework was HUGE, rivaling his height, and most of it was math…her weakest subject. Luckily for her, Yugi was great at math. It was the other subjects he wasn't so fond of. He offered to do her work for her while teaching her what he was doing at the same time. She liked that idea and told him to pull a chair up right beside hers so they could get started. He didn't need to be told that twice. Though, he did notice as he sat down that she had a stuffed Blue Eyes on her lap…He wasn't going to be jealous of Kaiba; the man had helped Carrie on her road to recovery and she was just grateful for that. That was all.

He taught her all the things they had learned in math during her time out of school while working on what she was incapable of doing at the moment. Showing her and explaining it helped her understand; just saying a bunch of words would make it hard for her to get the concept. She had told him that way back when, and that was why she hated reading class-she claimed it had no real point because books weren't meant to be comprehended so much-and history classes of any kind-she claimed those classes lied because no one alive now could prove that any of that had really happened. When she could do the same thing that he was doing and get the same answer, he let her go and work on other things that needed completion.

They worked in silence for about an hour. By silence…they weren't speaking to one another. Carrie often grumbled things under her breath about how the questions about _Wuthering Heights _were too stupid and asking for too much comprehension or how they couldn't prove that any of those Egyptian rulers had existed because the people might just have been drawing pictures on walls and carving statues to be doing those things and there really wasn't any purposes for them. And mummies were just dead people sent to their final resting place, nothing more. Yugi smiled, knowing that last bit about Egypt was directed at Yami. That was like the Carrie he had loved to pick on Yami. She was just as he remembered her.

"You know," Yugi said, breaking their silence, "Tristan is great at comprehending books. He could help you out with those questions. And Yami is a great source of history and could help you with your world history homework. And Joey copied off the right guy in biology, so he could give you the answers for that stuff."

Carrie sighed. "Yugi, I don't want you all to come here. Not right now, anyway. I'm not sure I'm ready for all of that. I mean, I know you and Yami will always be here at the same time…There's no getting around that. But to have more than two of you in the same room with me for a long period of time…I'm not ready for that."

"I understand," Yugi murmured.

"…Do you know why I asked for you to come?" Carrie asked.

"To be honest…no," Yugi admitted.

"It's because I loved you and trusted you so much in the past. Even when I felt like I had no reason to hold onto you anymore…when I was feeling like a shadow…my heart still yearned for you. This separation has just made it ache even more. Unless I wanted to break my heart forever…I had to let you have another chance. And you had to be the first," Carrie told him. "Unfortunately, Yami got rolled into the same bargain, but…I suppose I can't have Yugi without Yami."

"…I'm so sorry for making you feel neglected and depressed, Carrie. I…I love you so much, and I'll do anything to earn your favor again," Yugi stated.

Carrie smiled grimly. "I know, and I hope that you really can earn it back. But Yugi… even though I love you…I can't just forgive you like that."

"I know. That's why I'm not asking you to."

Instead of saying anything to that, Carrie turned her attention back to the book about an evil man and his twisted love for a girl who had been raised as his sister, but was in no way related to him by blood. Yugi thought he saw tears in the corner of her eyes, but could not tell for sure because the book was blocking her face from his view. Reluctantly, he returned to completing her math homework for her.

He was startled back to her when she spoke again.

"You will be accepted again, Yugi. Just give me time to heal from the pain you've inflicted upon my damaged heart."

She had put her book down again and leaned over until she was practically face-to-face with the short boy. Her lips found a place on his forehead for a few seconds before she pulled back again. He saw nothing but pure sadness in her eyes and wondered at the cause of it. Was it him?

"Thank you for coming today and helping me out, Yugi. But if you want to leave now… you can," she said.

"I'll only leave if you want me to," Yugi told her plainly.

"What if I never want you to go?" she asked.

"Then I'll never leave."

* * *

_A/N: Short, icky chapter. Kaiba was being nice again...so out of character, I know. And Carrie is beginning to mend things with Yugi, but why is she so sad? Only the next update will tell...whenever I get around to it. What did you think of this chapter? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Sorry for the delay, and thanks if you have reviewed. Here's another chapter on the road to Carrie's recovery. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 5

A week passed since Yugi's first visit back at the hospital. Joey and Tristan had been invited over on two different occasions so that they could have their second chance, too. Thanks to all of her friends, Mount Homework was dwindling in size; it had passed hill-size and was on its way to being just Anthill Homework. She smiled more often even when she was alone, feeling happy for letting those three back into her life. Kaiba had been right; they were helping her to stay away from the darkness. The distance between her and that darkness wasn't much, but she was getting farther away with every day that she saw her friends.

She stood awkwardly by the window, her hands gripping the railing as she looked out at the beautiful day. Yugi was supposed to come back today to help her tackle what was left of her math homework. He said he would come around noon, but if the first time he came was anything to go by, he could be an hour or so early. It was ten already, so she was already looking out for his spiky head with a huge smile on her face.

_It's amazing what a week of healing can do for you, _Carrie thought. _My whole body doesn't hurt as much, and I think it's become a little easier to walk. Perhaps that is all due to my heart not being in so much pain...or perhaps it's just because I got to see Yugi again. He always did have a calming effect on me...when someone else wasn't around. If even one person was there that had a way of setting me off, I would be the wild and crazy girl people are used to seeing. When it's just me and Yugi (and sometimes that accursed spirit), I'm a completely different person. Why is that? _Carrie sighed. _Well, maybe I shouldn't wonder at the reason for it. Maybe I should just be glad it does happen and hope it happens more often even when others are around._

The sound of the doorknob turning met her ears. Had Yugi managed to escape her looking and was he already here? This was early, even by his standards. Would Yami have allowed his hikari to be so early, since it would look like he was a bit too eager? Carrie didn't know; that spirit was always an annoying little enigma to her. But who else could it be?

The blonde glanced over her shoulder at the door as it slowly opened, her heart racing in anticipation. Her heart stopped dead when she saw who was there.

It wasn't Yugi.

It was a person she least expected to come to her, especially since she had told the doctors to stop her if she was caught anywhere in the hospital.

Tea Gardner.

Carrie turned around to face the brunette girl head on, wondering how she had avoided detection by the medical staff. Tea walked in and closed the door behind her. Even though Carrie wasn't too fond of the girl, she had to admit, she didn't look too good…not that she ever did. Her face was sullen and her blue eyes had lost all happiness. It looked as if she had cried a lot and hadn't gotten much sleep lately, too. Her whole physique seemed to have seen better days. She was wearing long sleeves in the middle of a warm spring day, too, and that was suggesting things that the blonde never suspected Tea of being capable of doing. Carrie knew the gang had cut her out of the picture weeks ago because of the way Tea had treated her…was this the result of that?

Tea walked over to Carrie, but her walk wasn't in any way threatening like it had been in the past. In fact, she looked like she was close to tears rather than about to yell.

"…How did you manage to get up here?" Carrie asked softly; Tea gave her no reason to yell…yet.

"…I kept my face out of sight…It's not that hard for doctors to think I'm someone else… I practically am a different person now…" Tea murmured sadly, stopping about ten feet from Carrie.

"Why's that?" Carrie inquired.

"Our friends…they've left me alone because of the way I acted around you…and now I'm completely alone," Tea replied without meeting Carrie's gaze. "…At first, I thought they were just testing me to see if I would be nice to you if they kept away from me for one day…and of course I didn't give in. I couldn't see how they could stand by you… after you had yelled at us all and made us feel like crap. I was real stubborn as usual. Then I realized the next day when they gave me the cold shoulder that it wasn't a test; they were serious. Still, I couldn't see what they kept holding onto in you…so my stupid mind let me keep believing they would take me back in a week…in two weeks…in a month…But they never did.

"I tried to make new friends, but no one else wanted me. Many people…they knew of how I felt about you. And most of the people in our school like you, if even just a little. Those that didn't…they're the bad fruit on the vine. The druggies, the smokers, the drinkers, the high school whores, the badasses…and there was no chance I would ever let myself fit in with them. Duke and Bakura were still nice to me, and so was Serenity…but most of the time…I was alone in the back of the class or the empty lunch table.

"I'm completely alone in life now, Carrie. I have no friends anymore. My parents don't really understand me. And those I love…they've turned their backs on me. I'm alone… because of you."

Carrie gaped at Tea. _She's blaming her loneliness...on __**me?**__ But...but I didn't turn them against her. I've been in the hospital the whole time and haven't been in contact with the gang until a week ago. I can't be blamed for this. She brought it on herself. I had nothing to do with it. Why is she here? To make me pity her? I do feel sorry that she is alone, but I'm not going to apologize to her for something I didn't do._

Tea came a few steps closer. Carrie pressed her back against the wall and window, regretting her position now. What was Tea's next move? What was she planning on doing to Carrie?

"…I've taken your place, only I'm not in the gang. I can't be the forgotten shadow in the background of anyone's life because I'm not a part of anyone's life. The spotlight's fixated on you; it never swings my way anymore. Now I understand…what you were feeling the day you were struck by that car…Now I understand your pain and why you were so angry at everyone. But I'm too afraid of the physical pain of dying to try something so drastic…yet. I'm sure that in a few weeks or months of loneliness…my depression will be great enough for me to finally sever the blood flow in my arm," Tea told Carrie in a weird way, her voice sounding too dark and sad to be hers.

"…What…what do you mean?" Carrie stammered.

Tea pulled up her sleeves, and just as Carrie had feared, there were cut marks up and down both arms, too many to count. Some had scabbed over, others looked recent. Some looked deeper than others. Carrie was mortified to see these scars on someone she had long ago considered a friend and had more often seen as a rival for her love.

"…There's one for every time I've cried or thought about my friends," Tea sobbed, the tears finally falling from her eyes. "And I'm sure there are some from when the Pharaoh has told me off for trying to talk to Yugi. A lot of blood has seeped from these wounds …but never enough to make me numb or unconscious or fall into eternal sleep. My parents don't know I do it…and that's why I am forced to wear long sleeves every day. But soon I'll no longer be a burden to this world…because my pain will become too great. And I'll finally be able to relate to you…because you put me…through all of this. You are the reason these scars are on my arms. You are the reason I'm alone. You are the reason I cry myself to sleep every night, if I cry at all. You are the reason I hardly eat. You are the reason I don't go to my dance lessons anymore…I'm too weak nowadays to try something like that. You are the reason I'm dying, Carrie. You are the only one to blame for my world falling apart."

Carrie shook her head, fighting tears that Tea's accusations had brought to her eyes. "…No…no I'm not. I cut you all off. It was their decision…I had nothing to do with it."

Tea gave her a grim smile that sent chills down her spine. "…When you were run over by that car…you made yourself involved. You forced the spotlight on yourself and made everyone pay attention to you. Before you were hurt, no one really cared how I felt about you. Then you get injured…and it was wrong to hate you, so I didn't. Then you wake up and yell at us…I insult you and I become the bad guy because it was still wrong to hate you even though you were well enough to hate everyone else. Your decision to cross the road in front of a moving car set off the chain of events that brought us to this moment. Slice it any way you want…it all comes back to you."

"…You're crazy…It isn't true…" Carrie murmured, turning her face away from Tea.

"You're right! I am crazy! But it's your doing! If you hadn't let yourself get hurt, or hadn't yelled at us on the day you came out of your coma, I wouldn't have made that outburst that turned everyone against me! I wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for you and your depression and anger issues!" Tea exclaimed, grabbing Carrie's right arm so the girl couldn't escape. "Only you can make things right! Only you can take my pain away!"

"Stop it, Tea! Let go!" Carrie cried, trying to pull Tea off of her. The pressure of her grip on Carrie's bad arm was enough to make her scream out in pain.

"Not unless you promise to make things right! You have to convince the guys to take me back! You have to make them see that they're doing to me what they did to you! If you don't, then I'm going to be the one lying still in a hospital bed fighting for my life…or I'll be lying still in a coffin six feet under!" Tea screamed. "If you don't, then you might as well die!"

"I can't! If I ask them to take you back…they'll wonder why the change of heart! If they find out you came here and were hurting me like this, you'll be worse off!" Carrie remarked.

Tea's eyes darkened. "You bitch! You know they would listen to you if you explained to them why they should take me back and why I even came to you! You could tell them I came to let you see the amount of pain they'd caused me! But you won't! Even after seeing what happened to you happen to me, you still can't get past your hatred! You damn bitch! I hate you! I hope you are happy when I finally kill myself and you see it on the news or in the obituaries! It will happen, and I doubt you'll give a damn that I gave you fair warning! This will be the last you'll see of me in life!"

The pressure on Carrie's bad arm increased so much that she couldn't stop herself from screaming loudly in pain. A nurse, whom had heard her cry of agony, rushed in and tried to pull Tea off of her. The brunette knocked the nurse on her backside, threw Carrie against the wall with a lot of force, and walked out of her own free will. Her expression returned to the one she had worn when she came into that room; it was almost as if nothing had happened. The door closed behind her, but what resulted from her visit did not leave with her.

Carrie held her right arm precariously as the nurse examined it for fractures since her right side was still weak from the accident and could easily be broken. Her ribs ached slightly from being slammed against the wall, but not as badly as her arm. The nurse said it didn't look like it was broken, but it should be X-rayed to be sure. Carrie knew that the day would be busy and she probably wouldn't have time to do her homework now, so she asked to have a moment alone in order to call Yugi and tell him to stay home. The nurse noticed her trembling and understood that now was past time to leave.

Once she was alone again, she let herself collapse on the hospital bed. Tears were more than just falling from her eyes; they were streaming and dampening her pillow. She cradled her stuffed Blue Eyes to her chest as she thought about what had just happened and what she would have to do because of Tea. That girl had a horrible sense of timing. Whenever Carrie was happy, she would come and ruin everything. She had just done so now. Now what was Yugi going to think when she called him to say he couldn't come?

No matter how she would try to explain it, she couldn't tell him that Tea had come over and possibly fractured her right arm. She had to leave Tea out of it. The gang was against her and even if she put it into the perspective that the girl had done, that they were doing to Tea what they had done to her…would they take her back? Without mentioning the attack…maybe. With mentioning the attack…no. She couldn't risk it. She would just have to leave out part of the truth for now.

And now she was thinking Tea was right about her being responsible for Tea's isolation.

If she had never been injured, they wouldn't have grown angry at Tea's insults.

If she hadn't been angry at the gang after she had awoken from her coma, Tea wouldn't have made that comment about hoping Carrie never walked again and the gang wouldn't have hated her.

_...It...It really is all my fault, _Carrie thought morosely. _I guess...I guess it's better...that I'm calling Yugi now. Later, I might be incapable...because if I can ruin someone's life like this, by just being injured...then I don't deserve to live. I don't want him to see me in this state...even if I do love him, even if I never want to let him go. I can't...I can't stick around in this world if I can make the world fall apart for someone else. It's just not fair..._

Carrie reluctantly picked up her cell phone and dialed Yugi's number. After two rings, someone picked up.

"Hello?" At first hearing, it sounded like Yugi, but she recognized a deeper tone in the voice that the boy didn't possess.

"Yami? …What are you doing, controlling Yugi?" Carrie asked, mentally cursing herself for the pain in her voice.

"The crazy kid was going to go over to see you without eating breakfast or lunch, so I'm doing it for him," Yami explained. "…What's wrong? You sound like you're in pain."

"…It's nothing. I'm…watching a soap opera with a sad ending, that's all," Carrie lied. "Listen…I hurt my right arm earlier, so the doctors are going to look at it to make sure I didn't screw it up too badly. My day…it's going to be pretty full now…so…I don't think it would be wise for you and Yugi to…come over. I probably wouldn't be able to see him, anyway. So could you…keep him sane for me?"

"Sure. I'm the reason he hasn't gone crazy already." Yami paused, but the tone of what he had already said suggested that he was already on to her. "Are you sure you're okay? You usually don't apply pressure to your right side and try not to do anything that might hurt it. And getting your arm looked at…it usually doesn't take a full day. And since when did you watch soap operas?"

"Being in the hospital with a pile of homework and nothing else to do…it makes you resort to watching some crazy shows," Carrie replied, lying again. "As to what I did to my right side…I suppose I was careless. And knowing doctors, it won't be just one X-ray. They'll want to check everything to see if I didn't injure myself anywhere else. So that's why it'll probably take all day. So…tell Yugi I'm sorry for canceling on him…and that he should get some meat on his bones. He shouldn't wither away…just because of me."

"All right, I suppose. We'll see you tomorrow then. You focus on getting better now. I can't have Yugi worrying our head off about you over something so trivial."

Carrie smiled grimly, glad he couldn't see it. "I will, and he won't have to worry much longer. Bye, Yami."

"Goodbye, Carrie."

He hung up, and she did the same. It felt like she had said goodbye for the last time, and she was sure that she had. Sighing morosely, she stood up and limped towards the door. The nurse was waiting on the other side to escort her with a wheelchair to the radiology part of the hospital, where she would get her X-ray. After that, a doctor would probably put a cast on if it was broken or sprained or cracked or whatever. Then she would be escorted back to her room…

Where she could end it all.

* * *

Yami hung up the phone, curious about Carrie's behavior. Her tone was full of pain and she had obviously been lying about the reason for it-that girl never had patience for those stupid soap operas. And even though those doctors did over-test her, they wouldn't take all day for a small arm injury just to check her all the way for other injuries. Something was off about her. What it was…that was beyond him. But he felt as if he had said goodbye to Carrie for the last time. He didn't like feeling like that.

_**Something's wrong, **_Yugi stated, obviously thinking along the same lines as Yami. _**Carrie was acting strangely, even for her.**_

_I know. She is not one to be so careless when she has come so far in recovery, _Yami agreed.

_**What do you think is the real reason for her injury, if she really is injured? Or the real reason for her calling to cancel? Do you think…do you think she has decided to not give us a second chance after all? Did we do something wrong?**_

_No. I do not believe that is the reason for her call. She was looking forward to us coming over again just as much as you were. It's something else...something that came to her unexpectedly that changed her mind. And I do not think she was lying about her arm. She would never lie about the condition of her body and strength. Those are what she takes pride in, so to have them damaged is something she would never lie about._

_**I want to go see her and make sure everything really is all right.**_

_She'll be getting her X-ray soon. You can't go now. And it would be violating what she wants us to do. You told me that you would never go against her wishes again._

_**I know that, but this is different! She might be in real trouble and if we don't go check on her, we would just be ignoring her again! I'd never be able to forgive myself if she died and I felt that something was wrong with her, that I had a sign from her that suggested that was going to happen!**_

Yami couldn't argue with that; it did seem like Carrie might be leaning into the darkness because of some outside force he was unaware of. His hikari would never leave him alone or stop worrying about Carrie if he didn't get to go over to the hospital soon. So he was about to give into the boy's demands when…

"Was that Carrie on the phone, Yugi?" Grandpa asked, coming into the kitchen with a broom in his hand.

"Yeah. She said she accidentally hurt her arm and because of that her day was going to be full and we shouldn't come over," Yami replied.

"That's too bad. I know you were so looking forward to seeing her again…but I guess her injury is pretty serious for her to cancel on you. I'm sorry you're going to be stuck here instead," Grandpa apologized. "…I know nothing I can do will make up for not being able to see her, but will you please give an old man a hand? There are a lot of customers at the shop today, and it's getting dirty. Will you tend to the customers while I tidy up a bit? It'll keep your mind off of Carrie."

Off of Carrie was the last place Yami and Yugi's mind needed to be, but they knew they couldn't just turn Grandpa down. He was too old to be running the place by himself and needed the help. So reluctantly, Yami agreed to aid the old man, hoping that this wouldn't result in Carrie disappearing from the face of the earth.

* * *

There had been a lot of people getting X-rays today; it seemed a lot of people had been injured recently. Carrie was forced to wait for forty-five minutes before she could get into one of the rooms with the radiating machine. The time didn't help to make her depression go away. If anything, it made it worse. She kept reliving the moment with Tea, kept remembering what Tea said.

"…_At first, I thought they were just testing me to see if I would be nice to you if they kept away from me for one day…and of course I didn't give in."_

"_No one else wanted me."_

"_My stupid mind let me keep believing they would take me back in a week…in two weeks…in a month…But they never did."_

"_I'm completely alone in life now, Carrie. I have no friends anymore. Those I love…they've turned their backs on me. I'm alone… because of you."_

"…_I've taken your place, only I'm not in the gang."_

"_The spotlight's fixated on you; it never swings my way anymore."_

"_Now I understand…what you were feeling the day you were struck by that car…Now I understand your pain and why you were so angry at everyone."_

"_I can't be the forgotten shadow in the background of anyone's life because I'm not a part of anyone's life."_

"_I've taken your place."_

"_A lot of blood has seeped from these wounds…There's one for every time I've cried or thought about my friends_ _and I'm sure there are some from when the Pharaoh has told me off for trying to talk to Yugi."_

"_You put me…through all of this. You are the reason these scars are on my arms. You are the reason I'm alone. You are the reason I cry myself to sleep every night, if I cry at all. You are the reason I hardly eat._ _You are the reason I'm dying, Carrie. You are the only one to blame for my world falling apart."_

"_I've taken your place."_

"…_When you were run over by that car…you made yourself involved. You forced the spotlight on yourself and made everyone pay attention to you. Your decision to cross the road in front of a moving car set off the chain of events that brought us to this moment. Slice it any way you want…it all comes back to you."_

"_I am crazy! But it's your doing! I wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for you and your depression and anger issues!"_

" _You have to make them see that they're doing to me what they did to you! If you don't, then I'm going to be the one lying still in a hospital bed fighting for my life…or I'll be lying still in a coffin six feet under!"_

"_I've taken your place."_

"_You are the reason I'm dying, Carrie."_

"_I've taken your place."_

"Carrie, are you all right?" the nurse accompanying her asked, noticing her trembling again.

"…Yeah…I'm fine," Carrie lied.

"I'll make sure that girl who attacked you doesn't go unpunished. You'll never see her in this hospital again," the nurse promised.

"_This will be the last you'll see of me in life!"_

Carrie winced; she knew the nurse was trying to be comforting, but she had chosen the wrong words to say.

"If you'd like, you can tell me all about what happened when we get this over with," the nurse offered.

Carrie forced a smile onto her face and shook her head. "No thank you. It was just Tea being Tea. Nothing to talk about there. I'd rather deal with what she did by myself. But thanks for caring."

"All right. If you're sure you'll be fine…"

* * *

_Damn! Why are there so many people coming in on a Saturday? _Yami thought, still in control of Yugi's body. The boy was too worked up about Carrie to function, so it was up to the spirit to man the cash register and help people with their game purchases. The shop was overrun today, unlike every other Saturday…well, at least it wasn't this full. It was almost as if every game player in Japan had decided to come on this particular Saturday, or that fate was messing with them in order to prevent them from reaching Carrie before she possibly did something crazy.

Just when he thought he was making the last purchase…

A woman drove her van up to the curb beside the game shop and about ten kids jumped out and ran towards the door. Yami sweat dropped, wondering how ten kids had crammed into that thing and if that woman had purposely waited until he had gotten his hopes up to drop the brats off. This act was followed by several groups of kids walking from all kinds of directions to the shop.

_If I ever see another child after today, I'll kill them all with a rusty chainsaw! _Yami vowed as he forced a smile onto his face and helped the first brat with their purchase.

* * *

Just when Carrie thought she was about to get her X-ray over with…

"Sorry. There's something wrong with one of the machines," one of the doctors told the group in the waiting area. "We're going to have to get someone to look at it, and you're going to have to wait a bit longer in order to get your X-rays with the other machines. We apologize for the delay and ask that you remain seated or reschedule."

Carrie groaned. _Fate's delaying me on purpose, isn't it? It wants me to suffer from what I caused Tea to go through. I've always hated fate...but now I hate it more than ever!_

* * *

The last kid walked up to the counter with the Duel Monsters he wished to buy. Yami tapped the counter impatiently while the child placed the seven cards on the counter. He typed the names into the computer and told the kid the price he would have to pay for his selection. He thought this would be over quickly…

But then the kid pulled out a jar of pennies that he expected to pay with and started counting out the amount.

The worst part was…his friends had left him and the kid was counting the amount out…by himself.

_If I ever see another child after today, I'll kill them all with a rusty chainsaw, and this one will be the first to go! _

* * *

Thirty minutes after one of the X-ray machines went down, Carrie was finally able to be wheeled into the room to get her arm zapped so the doctors could look at its insides. She laid her arm down on the table under the thing the rays came out of and waited with her eyes closed for them to do what they were going to do. Light flashed; she could see that even with her eyes shut. They said something about taking another picture of a different side of her right arm. She turned it onto its side and waited again. Light flashed again from the rays, then she was done.

The nurse wheeled her out again, but they would be in the waiting room a little longer because her scans would have to be analyzed and then a doctor would tell her whether or not any serious damage had been done to her arm.

What fun.

* * *

The kid with the pennies wasn't even halfway to the price of his cards, but at the rate he was going, Yami was very close to going into the back of the store and grabbing that rusty chainsaw Grandpa had no right keeping back there and hacking that kid to bits. He had to do something before he started the Domino City Chainsaw Massacre.

"You know what? I'm going to do you a favor and save us a bunch of time," Yami remarked when the kid had counted four dollars.

"Are you going to help me count?" the kid asked.

"Not exactly. I'm going to give you those cards for free," Yami replied.

The kid's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes. Really. But it's only this once, and I'm never doing it again for anyone else. So just take your cards and hurry along. Your friends are probably wondering if you'll ever show up," Yami told him.

"Gee, thanks mister!" the boy exclaimed, putting all his pennies back in the jar.

_No, thank you...for getting your scrawny ass out of here!_

"No problem!" Yami said with a forced smile.

As soon as the stupid boy with his stupid new cards and his stupid jar of stupid pennies was out that door, Yami ran to it and switched the sign to where it said closed to those who were looking from the outside. No one was anywhere near the game shop now…that was just peachy.

"Closing the shop so early?"

Yami nearly jumped out of Yugi's skin, not expecting Grandpa to come up behind him like that.

"Yeah, I believe we've had more than enough business for today," Yami stated.

"You're right. Well, since we're not going to be having any more customers…" Grandpa handed him another broom. "You can help me clean! Those kids made all my hard work be for nothing! If I never see another kid again, it'll be to soon."

Yami mentally groaned, but he couldn't turn down the old man. That was the whole reason he had been stuck dealing with those brats in the first place. So reluctantly he began to help the old man clean.

_If I never see another child or old person after today, it'll be far too soon._

* * *

The doctor said the bone was just bruised and her arm should be fine. That was good. It saved her time because no cast was necessary. She could be gone sooner than expected. Fate was finally swinging her way.

The nurse wheeled her towards her room, rambling on about how Carrie should be glad that crazy woman didn't do more damage to her arm because then Kaiba would receive a bigger bill than he thought and things related to that subject. Carrie was only half-listening to her. Her mind was too preoccupied with Tea's words and how she was going to do it than what the woman was saying.

Just her luck…one of the elevators was down and the three that were still in operation on that floor in that area had just left. She would have to wait a bit longer.

And the darkness was ever consuming her…

* * *

At last! Grandpa had finally let them off the hook! He told Yami that they could run along now and go be with friends. The old man thought he was going to see Tristan and Joey, and perhaps Bakura or Duke or Mai or whoever else might be around those two. But he would never guess where Yugi-he had taken his body back as soon as Yami was out the door-was running to.

The hospital to save Carrie from destruction.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" the nurse asked as Carrie limped over to her bed.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I think I'll get some sleep now. Tea popping up and attacking me has worn me out," Carrie lied, yawning falsely. "You have other patients that might need your help…and I'm sure some are worse off than me. Don't let lil' old me keep you from doing your job."

The nurse finally left her alone. As soon as the door was closed and she heard footsteps walking away from her room, she limped into the metal cabinet thing where the doctors kept all their medical shots. Any one of those doses of medicinal stuff her body didn't need could get her to shut down forever. She grabbed a few doses one that had a pretty bad reputation with the medical world if used incorrectly-morphine- and hobbled back over to her hospital bed.

She grabbed a pen and paper; she needed to write an explanation for this and her final wishes. She explained that Tea had come over and was a wreck, and it reminded her of how bad her depression really was; she asked for her friends to stop doing to Tea what they had done to her and take Tea back. Then she added one last thing for Yugi's sake before deciding the note was finished and hiding it under her pillow.

Then she stabbed the shots into her chest and injected the painkiller into her body**, **knowing that it was only a matter of time before the medicine became the death of her.

* * *

Yugi rushed into Carrie's room exactly five minutes after she had injected the morphine into her system. He didn't even stop to close the door behind him. His eyes had seen what he had most feared…

She was collapsed on the ground with needles around her labeled with the medicine she had injected into herself. Her eyes were closed, but for how long she had been like that he had no way of telling. Tears immediately began falling down his face as he rushed to her body…or almost did. Yami knew there was nothing the boy could do and forced his spirit back into the Puzzle so that he was in control again. He screamed for the nurse to get in there and take care of Carrie, saying that she had injected herself with seven doses of morphine.

The nurse rushed in followed by other medical personnel, who placed her flat on the floor and brought in a crash cart. He was forced to leave, as he had expected.

He stood outside of her room with tears in his crimson eyes. He couldn't help but think of the irony of it. That kid who had annoyed him the most, the kid with the pennies…he had bought seven Duel Monster cards, and Carrie had injected herself with seven doses of morphine.

Seven cards. Seven doses.

It was a sign…

But there was no chance that Carrie could pull through such an overdose.

She was dead.

But who was at fault now?

* * *

_A/N: Sad chapter, sad ending. But you know this won't be the end of the story or of Carrie. I'll do something to bring her back. And don't you just love it how I brought Tea back so she could ruin everything? Yeah...she has a way of doing that. So what did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Sorry for taking so long. Here's another chapter. I just hope you all like it enough to review, and thanks to those who have. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 6

Carrie had been moved from her room to a different room where they were trying to counteract what the drugs had done and restart her heart. Yami knew there was no chance of that happening, but he didn't want Yugi to be anywhere near the girl when the doctors would tell him she was dead. He instead just sat on the hospital bed where Carrie had lain for so long, waiting for the others to show up as the tears fell from his eyes silently.

He had found Carrie's note under her pillow-Yugi had said the girl wouldn't have done something like that without leaving some indication as to why she had done so and advised the spirit to look there first. It read the following message:

_To My Friends,_

_This is it. I know you have all been trying very hard to keep me happy and help me through my tough situation despite my hating you for so long...but I guess it was impossible to escape the darkness. I thought I could be happy again, but every time I think that, something bad happens to make me lean into the darkness. This time, I don't believe I will escape it._

_Tea came to see me today. I don't want you getting mad at her for doing so. Though she was a bit physical with me and yelled a bit, the girl was in a lot of pain. She's alone; no one pays any attention to her anymore. She...she cuts herself, and it's only a matter of time until she kills herself. It's all my fault that she was put in this position...if I hadn't been hurt and hadn't been angry at everyone, she wouldn't have snapped and you wouldn't have shunned her. She's taken my place in Domino City; she is just a shadow like I was just a shadow. Please...let her back in. I don't want to see her where I'm going. She might be a bitch on her good days, but no one deserves to go through my pain and burn in the fires of hell for all eternity. She's only human._

_My death will probably catch everyone by surprise. But I don't want you putting the blame on anyone, especially not Tea. It was my decision. If I can cause someone to go through so much pain...cause someone to be alone in the world...then do I really have the right to live? I don't think so. You can hate me if you want...but it is done._

_Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple. Sometimes goodbye's the only way. The sun will set for me. And sometimes goodbye is a second chance. But Yugi...Yami...or whoever else might find this, know that I will always hold you in my heart no matter where I go after death. Just don't make anymore shadows of the day..._

_I love you, Yugi._

_My Final Goodbye_

He read it over and over again, still not understanding what had pushed her so far as to kill herself. Sure, seeing Tea in her place might have made her feel very bad, but would that really make her want to die? It wasn't her fault. It was him and Yugi and Joey and Tristan and everyone else who had given the brunette the cold shoulder. They might have done it for her, but that didn't put the blame on her. She was blameless. Yet she had felt responsible and felt unworthy of life because of that. Now she was dead.

Yugi was in pieces; he knew the truth without Yami telling him. There was nothing Yami could do to make things better for two reasons. He was hurting as well, and when one loses someone they have loved, there is no quick recovery. It was better if he kept control over their body for now…if anyone else saw Yugi so upset, they would pity him and that was the last thing Yugi needed.

But Yugi told him to do one thing through all the sobs.

And that was to call Tea.

Though he didn't like that girl, it was his hikari and Carrie's wish that they save Tea from falling into the same path as Carrie. Reluctantly, he grabbed Carrie's cell phone and dialed the brunette's number. He couldn't help but remember where they had all been just over an hour ago. Carrie had been calling him to tell him not to come using this same phone. That was the last time he had spoken to her. Would this be the last time he spoke to Tea? Or was he already too late to fulfill the girl's last request?

The phone rang two times before someone finally picked up.

"Carrie, I don't want to talk to you unless you're calling to say the gang wants me back. Otherwise, I'm going to hang up and walk across the street without looking both ways," Tea murmured, sounding just as Carrie had said-in a lot of pain. That was why Yami didn't get angry at her non-threatening threat.

"This isn't Carrie. This is Yami," he said, not caring that his voice was trembling with emotion. "Carrie is dead. She…she committed suicide because she thought that making you go through so much pain meant she was unworthy of life. Oh Tea…why did you have to blame her for what we did? It was our decision…and it was her decision to take her life. I'm not going to blame you…she wanted us to stop you from doing the same thing as her. Please…don't add to the death toll."

"…She…she killed herself? I didn't mean for her to do that! I just came over to…to try to get her to talk to you guys! I don't want to be alone anymore, Yami…but I didn't want her dead! She was good for Yugi and I just wanted my friends back! I'm sorry! I should never have meddled! It's my fault she's dead!" Tea exclaimed. It sounded like she was crying on the other end. "If I hadn't come over today and let her see what being alone did to me…if I hadn't hurt her…then she'd still be alive!"

"It isn't your fault, Tea! It was her decision, and she didn't want anyone to be blamed for her death but herself. Please…calm down," Yami practically pleaded. He waited a few minutes for Tea's breathing to return to normal before speaking again. "She explained that we were doing to you what we did to her…only it was more intentional with you. Her last request was for us to take you back and prevent you from taking your life. It seems…It seems she thought you were worth more than she was."

"…But…I'm not…I used to insult her every moment that I possibly could because I was jealous of how close she was to you and Yugi. The accident made me realize…that it wasn't just one-sided, that she was the only one that cared in the relationship. Yugi was so worried about her…I bet he can't live without her. I tried to step aside and let things run their course without me…but then she snapped and I snapped and you…you all hated me. If I hadn't been so mean…if I had accepted that she and Yugi were meant for each other and you would never look my way…then I wouldn't have fallen into the darkness and Carrie wouldn't have killed herself. She was much kinder than I ever was. She is worth ten times more than me…and now she's gone…Yugi, I'm so sorry. I'm so…so sorry…"

"…Tea, will you come to the hospital? The others will not turn you away…I'll explain it to them. You can…you can apologize to Carrie and say your final goodbye with the rest of us."

"Okay…I will be there soon."

Yami didn't feel like saying goodbye because that had been the last word he had said to Carrie before she killed herself. He just hung up and tossed her cell phone into the chair his hikari had sat in for so long during Carrie's coma. The stuffed Blue Eyes White Dragon was there along with the homework she had been doing that day before Tea had shown up. He remembered how fond of the Blue Eyes she had been-she always seemed to be holding that thing, especially when she was in pain. She had never liked Kaiba, but perhaps she respected him for helping her with the surgeries and that was why she liked the Blue Eyes toy so much. Absentmindedly, he took it out of the chair and held it in the same manner Carrie had often done. It was one of the few things they had left of Carrie.

The door opened. Yami turned around to see Kaiba standing in the doorway and what was more surprising than that, the businessman's eyes were shining with unshed tears. He knew now that calling Kaiba had not been pointless. Luckily, he hadn't brought his little brother here. Death was the last thing Mokuba needed to face.

"…Where is she?" Kaiba asked quietly, coming to Yami's side.

"…They took her away and are trying to restart her heart," Yami replied. "It's futile. I cannot sense her life anymore. She is dead, Kaiba…she has been for over twenty minutes. There's no chance of saving her anymore."

"Damn!" Kaiba hissed. "I tried to stop her from falling into the darkness like I almost did…That was why she let you and the other two back in her life. What provoked her to take her life? I thought she was happy again…"

"She was…Then Tea came and she was just as bad as Carrie had been before the accident," Yami told him. "She left a note to explain her motives."

Kaiba took the note from Yami's extended hand and read it silently. Yami did not like the man, but he had helped Carrie a lot when she needed it so he couldn't hold grudges. Besides, Kaiba's company was better than the company of silence. Silence spoke too much; it was deafening in its own way when it made him remember things that could bring more tears to his eyes.

A few minutes passed before Kaiba handed the note back. Yami knew that Kaiba had done just what he had done and read the note several times since it wasn't long enough to take minutes to read. Kaiba didn't understand it just as much as Yami hadn't. They were more alike than they would have liked to admit.

"…I didn't tell Alyssa. I didn't want her…to break down again, and she was smiling when I left the office, so I'm assuming you didn't call her," Kaiba muttered.

Yami shook his head. "I didn't call anyone related to her…It did not seem right to tell them over the phone. But they will need to know soon. We cannot let them go around thinking that Carrie is still alive when she is not."

"I know. I…I will tell Alyssa tonight when she returns to her home. At least that way, I can comfort her in privacy and not in the public eye where anyone can come to inaccurate conclusions about her. And then…then I'll fly to New York and inform her sister and mother of what happened. You can tag along…if you want. You were, after all…Carrie's boyfriend and closest friend," Kaiba said.

"That is kind of you to offer, Kaiba. But why are you being kind to me when you clearly dislike me?" Yami asked.

"…Because Yugi…you just lost the one person you've ever loved. I find it hard to believe that you're not breaking down right now…I can only assume you're holding in your emotions for your friends' sake. But it would be wrong to criticize you during such a time as this. I know you would do the same if Alyssa were in Carrie's place."

That was true. Yami would be kind to Kaiba if Alyssa had committed suicide for the same reasons Kaiba was being kind to him now.

"…So…she's really dead…" Kaiba murmured, still in disbelief.

"Yes. Even if they managed to start her heart again…her blood has been still too long. She would be brain-dead and not the same person we knew. Only a miracle could bring her back to us-"

"-and there are no such things as miracles when it comes to Carrie."

That was exactly what Yami had been about to say.

* * *

_Carrie found herself surrounded by darkness and had the sensation of falling. She no longer heard the doctors trying to start her heart with the crash cart. She heard nothing at all anymore. She felt nothing, saw nothing...she was surrounded by nothing now. This was her dead on the way to wherever it was people went when they died._

_Her darkness was silent...perhaps that was because she had separated herself from her body. No...She was still slipping out. Somehow she realized that...it felt like she was still attached to something though she felt nothing material anymore. Was her body still trying to fight Death? Death was the one thing even her strength could not beat, especially if she had intentionally invited Death to take her away. Why was she not gone yet? It had been nearly an hour since she had injected herself with a lethal amount of drugs, and yet she was still not gone from the world. Who or what was holding her earthbound?_

_From out of the darkness appeared the head of her strongest and rarest Duel Monster: Uria, Lord of Searing Flames. He had been sent to restrain her darkness by the Egyptian Gods themselves, but now that she was dead, the darkness posed no threat; he was free to roam about in darkness until the spirit of Iris was reborn again. The crimson dragon was joined by Gyakutenno Megami, Dark Magician, Performance of the Sword, and Empress Judge. Two were her favorite Monsters, one belonged to her ex, and the other was one of her cousin's favorite Monsters. Why were they bugging her on the way out of her body? Couldn't they just leave her be?_

"_Little one, you mustn't die. It is not yet your time," Gyakutenno stated._

"_...I say it is, and you cannot stop me. I'm too far gone to be brought back now, anyway," Carrie grumbled. "Now leave me be so I can go to hell or heaven or just be dead or whatever happens when people die."_

"_No. If you die, then all of your friends will be in a lot of pain and unable to continue with their destinies. Alyssa will fall and pull away from civilization...and no one will know if she still lives. Jessica will feel abandoned and run away from her problems only to be taken off the streets and become a random murder victim. Joey and Tristan will be so torn up that they will not be able to eat their fill and they shall wither away. Tea will feel guilty and take her life, anyway. Mai will let her looks go down the drain and become homeless because she will no longer be able to perform any task. The Pharaoh will be so busy trying to prevent Yugi from joining you that he shall be unable to fulfill his destiny. And Yugi...he shall be so depressed that he will not control his body unless it is to try and join you. I have seen the futures of these people and what shall happen if you do not return to your body and live again," Performance of the Sword told her._

"_I cause more pain in life than I ever could in death. You're probably just saying those things to try and make me turn around. People die every day and no one has ever done anything that drastic in response," Carrie pointed out._

"_You had no reason to kill yourself, Carrie. What you accomplished by getting your friends to take Tea back to prevent her from killing herself...it could have easily been done in life," Empress Judge remarked._

"_...You don't get it, do you? I am the reason Tea is so depressed. Our friends abandoned her because of things she said and stuck to me when I was angry with them. I caused someone so much pain...I am unworthy of life if I am able to do that...to force someone to fill the position I had been in not too long ago. That is why I did what I did. If they took Tea back, good for them. But I must die now to repent for my evil deeds."_

_Dark Magician was silent as always, but he stared silently at Carrie with his violet eyes in a way that told the girl that she was being foolish for causing his masters so much pain. She quickly looked away from him. His glare had always made her uncomfortable before; being dead didn't make it any different._

"_**Carrie…Do you not understand? You are the reason everyone was happy and holding together. You are the reason why Kaiba and Yugi could sit in the same room without trading insults. You are the reason why Tea came seeking your aid so she wouldn't follow in your dark path. Your life is worth living. Mortals make mistakes, but what Tea went through was not your fault. It was your friends' choice. The only area that you share blame is this suicide you have foolishly committed. Staying dead will cause your friends so much pain. You are unworthy of death, Carrie. If you can cause mortals so much pain in death, then you are unworthy of it. Life is the only logical choice you can make. Do you want Yugi to be heartbroken? Do you want him to lose the happiness he has always possessed when you're around? I tell you as one who has been around just as long as the Egyptian Gods…and one who has seen what happened with yours and Yugi's first lives…Iris and the Pharaoh. One cannot live without the other. If you die…Yugi will perish as well," **__Uria declared. __**"Do you wish for Yugi to be dead as well?"**_

"_No...of course not. He's so innocent and cute...and he has so much to live for." That damn dragon had made tears well up in her spirit's eyes by touching the one subject she wished for everyone to leave alone-Yugi's future without her._

"_**Then you must live."**_

"_...But...but it's so hard to stay...out of the darkness. It can be so inviting when things go wrong...How can I escape it and keep from falling in again?" The more pressing question was how she could return to life when her body was ice cold and her heart wasn't working and her brain was dead, but she was too blonde at the moment to think about asking that._

"_Think about all the good things in your life. And the Pharaoh and Yugi will always be there if you need them, little one, of that I am sure," Gyakutenno replied. "That is how you can stay out of this place. To get out of it now when you have been in it for so long will be a little harder."_

"_Not too hard with Duel Monsters here to assist you. We shall send our energies through you and force you back towards the light," Performance of the Sword said._

"_You shall be as you were before this day began, though your memory of today shall remain intact. Physically, it will be as if you never injected the poison into your veins. Mentally, however, will be a different story. You will know the truth and never try something this foolish again," Empress Judge put in._

"_**Are you ready to live again?"**_

_Unable to speak anymore because the stupid Monsters had filled her with so much emotion, Carrie just nodded once. They arranged themselves in a circle around her with Uria's head in the center of the ring, Dark Magician to the right of him, and Gyakutenno to the left of the dragon with Empress Judge and Performance of the Sword filling the gap behind the girl. They began chanting some ancient language that Carrie didn't understand that might have been a spell to push her from the brink of death. The girl just closed her eyes and whispered _his_ name as they finished their chant. A blinding light appeared behind her eyelids and she felt instead of a falling sensation, a sensation like she was flying._

_She was returning to life._

* * *

They were allowed into the room where Carrie's still body lay in order to say their goodbyes. The doctors and medical staff gave them their space because there were other patients…and also because they understood how hard it was to lose someone. Mai… Tea…Joey…Tristan…Grandpa…Kaiba…and Yugi (yes, Yugi; Yami had granted him the chance to bid his love farewell) all stood there with tears streaming down their faces as they looked upon Carrie. She looked like she had when she was in her coma…asleep. But they all knew this was a sleep no one could wake from.

Yugi walked slowly over to her side when no one else made a move towards her. Her eyes were closed and her skin seemed snow-white in comparison to the slightly tan color it had once possessed. He brushed aside the blonde hair that was out of place on the side of her face as his tears fell like rain onto her. He couldn't speak without his tears taking over his voice, so he didn't try to. Not loudly, anyway.

"…I love you…" he whispered before giving her one last kiss.

Her lips felt cold at first, but then suddenly he felt them grow warm. His first thought was that his heat had transferred, but that was before he felt a reaction beneath his lips. It was almost as if she had come back to life. But once people were dead, they stayed that way…right?

Yugi pulled away enough so he could look at her in the face again. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her emerald eyes staring back. She had come back! But how?

It didn't matter now. All that mattered was that she wasn't dead.

He couldn't stop himself from embracing her tightly; he was so happy! She returned his embrace just as tightly; it seemed she felt the same way! They could have remained in each other's arms forever…but there were other people in the room who were just as amazed to see Carrie alive again.

"Carrie! How the hell did you come back? Was this all some huge prank or something?" Joey demanded, though he was smiling from happiness.

"No…I can assure you it wasn't a prank. I really was dead. But these annoying Duel Monsters forced me to come back…Well, they made me realize that I shouldn't die and then forced me back to the world of the living. I don't regret coming back…I got to see your smiling faces and the joy my presence brings you," Carrie said with a smile, holding Yugi on her lap where she was still laying on the bed.

"Don't you ever do something like that again!" Tristan and Mai ordered in unison.

"Yeah…if you do, we'll have to bring you back and kill you again," Tea added nervously; she was watching what she said now because she didn't want to lose her friends again.

"At least this story had a happy ending," Grandpa murmured with a smile while all of the friends around Carrie's age joined in a group hug with her right in the center.

Kaiba stayed back and remained silent, but a smile was on his lips. Though he wasn't too fond of Carrie, he was glad that she had come back from the dead. Someone like her didn't deserve to die so young…

And it seemed even she received a miracle every now and then.

* * *

_A/N: Well, this is the end of this chapter. I'm debating on whether I should make this the last chapter and complete this story now...So this is where your opinion really counts. Should this be the real end? What do you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: As advised by another on this site, I've decided to add another chapter...well, actually, another two. This one is going to be in the perspective of the others when they received that call from Yami saying that Carrie was dead, and the other...I'll leave it a surprise. I hope you will like them. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 7

Mai was in the middle of getting ready for her job at a local fancy restaurant when the phone rang. It was around noon, and she was already running late because she had woken up late after going to bed at midnight. The last thing she needed was someone calling her while she was getting dressed. She resolved to let the answering machine get it and continue with her routine. Whoever it was on the other end wasn't as important as the job she had that kept the roof over her head.

The message she and Carrie had recorded played a few rings later, followed by the annoying beep. Mai came out of her room in her work uniform-a white blouse with black slacks and dressy black shoes-with a brush in her hand to listen to whatever the person had to say in case she was wrong about their call. Of course, her mind kept drifting over the time and how late she would be and the possibility of her being fired, so she was really only half-listening while she brushed her hair into a presentable manner. Most of the message was missed.

But her full attention was caught when she heard three words from the caller.

She dropped the brush and grabbed the phone, ending the message because now she could talk to him.

"What do you mean, Carrie's dead?" Mai exclaimed, catching the caller offguard by her sudden outburst.

"…I mean exactly what I say, Mai. Carrie killed herself and this time…she is not going to come back," Yami said on the other end; Mai could hear the emotional tremble in his voice and knew he wasn't lying.

"…W-Why…Why would Carrie kill herself when she's come so far? Yugi, why would she do that? I thought she was happy again with you and Joseph and Tristan…was I wrong? Did you guys hurt her again?" Mai asked. She wanted to yell, but her voice wouldn't obey her. She heard her own voice trembling with emotion from hearing this news after thinking for so long that Carrie was fine again.

"…We did nothing to her but respect her wishes. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure why she did it, either," Yami admitted. "…The doctors…They're trying to restart her heart now…but the chances are grave. I do not think she will survive this, like she intended not to. I thought…I thought I should be the one to tell you, so that you won't be caught offguard later. You should come to the hospital."

Mai felt a tear roll down her face followed by others. It took her a few moments to respond to Yami's words. "…I'll have to call work first…but I'll be there soon. If…if you find anything that gives any answers to why she did it…let me know, okay?"

"I will…and I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You're not…the one who hurt her."

"…See you soon, Mai."

"Goodbye…Yugi…"

Mai hung up the phone before collapsing to the ground and weeping loudly into her hands. She couldn't believe it. It seemed like she was reliving that accursed day all over again when Carrie had been hit by that car and hospitalized. That same day, Mai had been getting ready for work and the phone had rung. A very emotional Yugi had called to inform her of what had happened to Carrie. She had dropped everything and rushed over to the hospital as fast as she could go, speeding past the speed limit without any trouble because she felt as bad then as she did now. She had been afraid that Carrie was going to die and she'd be alone again. Now that fear was back, only a thousand times stronger…

Because this time, her fear was confirmed.

Carrie was dead.

Mai was alone again.

Carrie had always been a colorful character even before she had moved in with Mai. Her multiple personalities kept her somewhat exciting. One minute she would be kicking ass, and the next she would be giving hugs or would be hyper or would be calm. The enigma that was Carrie had intrigued Mai, so when she heard that the girl needed a place to stay because Alyssa was moving in with Pegasus, she offered to share her apartment. It took some getting used to, but the girl's company was somewhat pleasant. Sometimes she could be annoying, but mostly Carrie was a fun person. She kept things interesting when life was boring and went out of her way to make life easier for Mai when the woman had one of those days. Carrie was a kind girl who had been through hell, and Mai grew to like her as if she were a little sister. The only person she had ever liked more was Joseph; that was saying something.

She had been the first to notice when Carrie's world began to really fall to pieces nearly a year ago. Had it really been that long since the blonde girl had started feeling depressed? Mai could remember that day almost as if it were just last week. Carrie had come home from visiting the game shop that Yugi's grandfather owned, but she didn't look happy like she usually did when she came back from seeing her boyfriend. In fact, she looked absolutely sad. Mai turned the television off and had asked her what was wrong. The girl had sighed-it sounded as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders-and sat down on the couch beside Mai.

"Is it a bad sign when your friends barely look at you or acknowledge that you're there?" Carrie had asked.

"It depends on the situation and whether there were hot guys and girls in the room," Mai had said. "Why do you ask?"

"The gang was talking about something pertaining to Yami and his past when I went over there. I don't know exactly what it was they were saying since they didn't fill me in…but they didn't even look up when I came over. And whenever I tried to say something, my words went unheard. Not even Yugi looked my way. But they kept glancing at each other, so it's not like they were ignoring everyone. It was just me," Carrie had told her. "Did I do something wrong to them? I'm not sure. But even Yami's not important enough for them to ignore me that much, is he?"

"Of course not. But you know those five have been together for a long time and want to learn as much as they can about that stupid spirit. Perhaps they were so deep in conversation that they didn't want to break away. And most of them are guys, and guys are a bit thick-headed, so you can't expect them to listen all the time. I'm sure things will be different tomorrow," Mai had assured her.

But she had been wrong. Carrie continued to feel like she didn't matter to the gang, like she was just a shadow in the background of her friends' lives. It reflected in her morose attitude at home, which made their once bright apartment into a dark and gloomy place. Mai tried to be there for Carrie. That was probably one of the reasons Carrie held onto her sanity for so long and kept thinking clearly enough to not be hit by a car while crossing the street.

Then Carrie's depression had become too much and that was why she had landed in the hospital.

The day she learned of Carrie's accident, she hadn't broken down because she had to be strong for the others and have hope that Carrie would pull through.

Today was different.

There was no hope, so therefore she couldn't be strong.

She broke down.

_Why?...What pushed her into the darkness? What made her think of killing herself? If it wasn't the gang, then who else could it be? Or...or was it just that she was depressed this whole time and hid it well from everyone this time...even me?_

She couldn't think of anything else except of the question of why. She stayed there on the floor of her apartment for well over thirty minutes, just crying over the death of her closest friend and roommate because she was too upset to do anything else. But she knew that Yugi would need her and that she would have to go to the hospital eventually, being Carrie's caretaker and all…So she managed to pull herself together long enough to tell her boss why she couldn't come and leave her apartment. She didn't take her foot off the gas the whole time she made her way to the hospital, too emotional to care about the danger of what might happen if she didn't slow down or didn't watch where she was driving.

All she could think about was why.

* * *

Kaiba was in his office, looking through a thousand different reports from a thousand different departments of his corporation in order to inform himself of how well his business was running. He had no important meetings today; he had reserved this day for reviewing and then stopping in at the hospital to check up on Carrie. Alyssa and Mokuba hadn't requested it this time. He was going of his own free will. Of course, he wasn't expecting to leave for that until around three for a thousand and one reasons-the reports and his dislike of Carrie.

But that was until the phone rang.

The fact that his office phone was ringing was a shock in itself. Most calls Kaiba Corporation received were sent directly to the many secretaries he had in his employment to deal with. Only the most important were directed to his office, and he usually had a warning about that. So it was a personal call from someone who had his number. Again, a very small number had that. So who could be calling him at this time of day when he was busy?

He sighed and picked up on the third ring. It was better to solve mysteries before they bugged him to death.

"Hello? Who is this?" he asked.

"…Kaiba, this is Yugi. Please don't hang up."

Of course, that was what the billionaire was about to do once he recognized the caller's voice (it was really Yami, but Kaiba's too dumb to know that). But he had to know why that loser was calling him, so he did what the boy asked.

"What do you want?" Kaiba demanded coldly.

"…Carrie's dead, Kaiba. She…she killed herself about ten minutes ago…They took her away…But she's dead," Yami said with a trembling tone.

Kaiba was too stunned by his words to say anything.

"…I…I know you hate me and are not fond of Carrie…but since you have been visiting her and paid for her surgeries…I thought you would like to know so you could come down and…see her before Mai decides what happens to the body…" Yami told him.

Kaiba hung up, not because he hated Yugi, but because he couldn't find his voice. He was shocked beyond words about what Carrie had done out of the blue and wasn't sure how to react to it. Well, mentally he wasn't. He was surprised to find that his eyes were wet with tears and he was too choked up to say a word. Even though he disliked Carrie, subconsciously, her death had caused him a great amount of pain. She had made him cry, something he hadn't done for awhile…and the first time he had done so over her.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and swallowed hard in an attempt to calm himself down. He would go to the hospital, but in order to do so, he would have to get to the elevator. To get to the elevator, he would have to get passed Alyssa. It was her cousin that was dead in the hospital, but he didn't want to tell her yet. The girl he loved so much was just starting to smile again after hearing how well Carrie was doing…He didn't want to see her fall apart again. That would just make today that much worse. So he would have to make her believe everything was fine and he was just going out to do something related to his business.

To do that, he would have to look like his normal unemotional self.

And he had to believe that Yugi hadn't called her yet.

He managed to stand up from his chair and walk to the door of his office. A trembling hand reached for the doorknob; he quickly forced himself to stop shaking so much. He opened the door and strode towards the elevators without glancing at anyone or stopping, trying to forget that Alyssa's desk was one of the first ones he would pass. He glanced at the brunette out of the corner of his eye; she was in the middle of typing up memos while answering a call from a client. She was smiling happily while doing her job, something he hadn't seen in awhile. She was happy again…

But soon that smile would be gone again and she would cry once more…

Because of what Carrie had done.

He rode the elevator down from the sixtieth floor to the first floor-the descent seemed slower than ever before. His limo was waiting for him outside of the office building; Kaiba had called his chauffeur while in the elevator so the man would know to be there and where to go once the businessman was inside the car. He told the man to get there in five minutes even if it meant breaking the speed limit as he slammed his door shut. The car accelerated quickly, but Kaiba's head was in too much of a fog for him to care…not even enough to put his seat belt on.

_...I thought she was happy...I thought that being with that mutt and Tristan and that loser would be enough to keep her from falling into the darkness that almost consumed me, _Kaiba thought as he looked out the window with tear-dampened eyes. _I must have misjudged how strong her depression was...Not even her friends could stop her from giving into it. But something...something must have pushed her over. Something must have made her decide it was time. What made her do it? Why...why did she do it?_

That was all he wanted to know, because he knew that it would be all Alyssa would want to know when he told her.

* * *

Tristan was working on his motorcycle, which had been having some problems lately and needed some tuning before his parents would let him ride it. He couldn't work in silence, so he had brought out an analog radio tuned to his favorite station; it was blasting his music loud enough for him to hear and the neighbors to not complain. Working on his bike was dirty work, but he wasn't expecting to go anywhere or see anyone. Today was Yugi's day to go see Carrie. Joey was hanging out with Serenity and would have killed him if he tried to come over. Alyssa was working for the man. And he had long forgotten about Tea. So there was nothing for him to do and no reason for him to look nice.

The motorcycle had his full attention…

Until he heard the ringing of his cell phone during one of the radio advertisements.

He got off the ground and wiped his hands off on an old towel in order to remove the grime that had rubbed off on him. The radio fell silent before he answered the phone-whoever was calling wouldn't be interested in hearing his rock music when it came back on the radio.

"Hello?"

"…Tristan, this is Yami. There's…something I have to tell you."

The tall brunette leaned against the side of his house, not liking the tone of Yami's voice. "Dude, what's wrong? Did something happen to Carrie? Or are you calling to tell me that you've gone gay and find me attractive? Please tell me it's the latter of the two options."

"…I'm sorry…but I'm not calling to tell you that. Something did happen to Carrie… something she did to herself. I don't know how to say this…but Carrie committed suicide. She…she is no longer among the living."

"…No way…She couldn't have done something like that. She…she was recovering and had finally let us back in…She was happy again. She wouldn't have…she wouldn't have killed herself for no reason. No! It has to be a lie." Tristan was in denial.

"…I wish it were, Tristan…but it's not. We came here and found her lying on the ground …and she was lifeless," Yami told him.

"You're lying! This is some sick, twisted joke you're pulling! And I'm not going to fall for it!" Tristan exclaimed, ending the call before Yami could say anything else.

His hand let go of the cell phone as he leaned on the side of the house, no longer able to stand on his own. He was shaking with emotion; tears fell from his brown eyes while he tried to deny the spirit's words. Yami had never lied before, but Carrie killing herself seemed too impossible. He had just seen her two days ago. She had been smiling and was more cheerful than she had been for some time. To go from that to a depression that made her take her own life in just forty-eight hours…how could that be?

It hurt to think about how it could possibly be true, that she really was dead. His heart was aching and had been ever since Yami said those three words about what she had done. Why was that? Sure, he had been Carrie's friend for quite some time, but this didn't feel like the kind of hurt associated with losing a friend. Was it because he had loved her once…or that he still harbored feelings for her within his heart? He wasn't sure. Love had always been a huge mystery to him. But it seemed to fit why he was in so much pain and in denial of her impending condition.

There was only one way to be sure.

He would have to go to the hospital.

Only then would he know if Yami had told the truth or was a sick bastard.

He stumbled over to his motorcycle and pulled his helmet on. The motorcycle still needed a little bit of work, but it would work well enough without it. Besides, if she really was dead…would he really care if he wrecked and disappeared into the darkness with her? He revved up the engine and took off down the road towards the hospital. His parents might have stuck their heads out the door and yelled for him to stop, but he didn't hear them and didn't care.

All he cared about was Carrie.

He almost crashed several times, but managed to maneuver out of the way just in the nick of time to prevent taking lives and losing his own. The cops could appear on his tail any minute for his reckless driving, but he didn't care about that, either. He would keep driving until he got to that hospital, and then he would go up to the floor where Carrie's hospital room was and find out the truth for himself. It might hurt him to learn the truth, but at least he would know. His heart might break indefinitely, but at least he would know. He might feel like dying, but at least he would have a reason.

That was all he wanted to know-the truth.

* * *

Joey was walking around Domino City with Serenity, at a loss as to what they should do. They had just finished eating lunch at a pizza place, where he had devoured a pizza and a half while his sister had barely stomached three slices but ended up paying for both of them, and were trying to decide what to do next. Walking wasn't so bad since they didn't get to see each other that often; just being in each other's company seemed to be enough. Her arm was linked in his, and he felt happy for the first time in a long time. Serenity filled him with a sense of…well, serenity.

Tristan and Duke weren't around to make their family moment annoying, which made it that much better. Those two hormonal boys were always flirting with his sister. It drove him crazy. But before he had gone to retrieve her from his mother's place, he had warned both that if they even tried to come along, he would murder them in their sleep in a very painful way where they would die women instead of men. That seemed to have done the trick; he hadn't seen Tristan or Duke around the whole day so far.

_This day can not get any better, _Joey thought as Serenity suggested they go to the arcade.

He was right even though he didn't know it. The day couldn't get any better.

But it could get worse.

A whole lot worse.

His cell phone rang and he planned on just turning it off, thinking it was Tristan asking him how Serenity was doing. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the caller id just to be sure he wasn't hanging up on someone important. When he saw it was Carrie's number, he quickly put the phone to his ear. She wouldn't call unless something really bad had happened to her.

"Hey, what's up, Carrie? Whose ass am I kicking?" Joey asked, worried.

"Joey, this isn't Carrie…This is Yami. Carrie committed suicide."

"Say what? Why the hell would she do something like that?" Joey demanded. Serenity couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, but she had a feeling from her brother's reaction that whatever was going on wasn't good. Joey realized this, but had to know as much as he could about his friend's condition. His sister would have to wait a minute…and it killed him to put her through that.

"…I am unsure…but I will attempt to find an answer. But you…you should come to the hospital to…to see her before Mai decides what happens to her body."

"…I can't. Serenity's with me and…and I don't want her to see Carrie like that. She doesn't need to see someone dead, especially not her," Joey told him. He heard Serenity gasp and could only imagine what her expression was. Well, he was going to have to tell her eventually. This wasn't the best way…but what other choice did he have? "…I'll be there when I can be, but I can't make any promises."

"…Joey…what's going on?" Serenity asked, tears in her eyes and her voice shaking.

He sighed, trying to keep himself from breaking down in front of his sister. "…Carrie's dead. It looks like…she took her own life."

"…Why would she do something like that? ...The way you were talking about her…it sounded like she was happy and recovering," Serenity sobbed.

"That's what I thought, too. No one knows why she did it…not even Yugi. But I want to find out as much as I can, so I'm going over to the hospital after I drop you off at Duke's."

"I want to go to the hospital with you."

"No, Serenity. I don't want you to see her like this. Even seeing her when she was in a coma was hard for you…and this time, she's actually dead. Please…don't argue with me. Letting you be alone with Duke is hard enough as it is. Don't make this any harder."

She didn't argue any further; she just grabbed her brother's arm and buried her face in his chest. Her sensitivity was part of the reason why he didn't want her going to the hospital with him…she was simply too sensitive for her own good. Hearing her cry made it harder to keep himself from crying, but he didn't want to break down in the middle of the street where people could judge. So he quickly led his sister away in the direction of Duke's game shop while biting his tongue to keep his tears at bay.

Duke seemed pleasantly surprised when Joey walked in, but that smile quickly faded when the dark-haired boy saw that Serenity was crying and Joey wasn't too far off. The blonde quickly explained what was going on and asked for Duke to keep Serenity company while he was at the hospital. Threats weren't necessary; Joey could see from Duke's expression that he had no intention of trying to flirt with his sister. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he would have thought that Duke was genuinely sad about Carrie's death. But would that boy, whom Carrie disliked greatly and had used as a human punching bag, really miss her that much? Joey didn't know, and he didn't stick around to find out. Carrie was dead and his best friend needed him.

He took off down the street towards the hospital, almost colliding with several people who shouted rudely at him for doing so. But he didn't care. The tears that were falling from his eyes now were proof enough of that. It was true that he and Carrie had never been as close as they could have been…but she had been his friend. He had been her first friend in years when she came to Domino City, and she was a very kind girl unless he got her angry and unleashed her fury. That was why he was crying and in a hurry to see the truth of what had become of Carrie.

This day had started out great…

But it seemed it would end in disaster.

* * *

Grandpa was seated at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper and drinking a well-deserved cup of coffee. The hard work he and Yugi had done that day needed a reward, and this was his idea of that. He just wished his grandson hadn't taken off so quickly; his old mind was too busy worrying about what that boy was up to that he really couldn't focus on his reading. The way he had took off running…one might think that something really bad was about to happen.

The phone started ringing then, capturing the old man's attention. He set his cup down and went to answer it. Who would call him on a Saturday at this time of day?

"Hello? This is the Muto residence."

"Grandpa! Something terrible has happened! Carrie killed herself!" Yugi-yes, Yugi; he didn't think it would be right for Yami to tell his grandfather-cried, barely audible through all of his sobs. "She injected herself with a lot of drugs and…and now she's dead!"

"Whoa, calm down, Yugi. What do you mean, Carrie killed herself?" Grandpa demanded, not believing what he was hearing.

"I mean she took her own life! I feared she might do something like this when she called earlier…but I was too busy to come and stop her! When I came to her room…she was lying on the floor…her eyes were closed and she was lifeless…She's dead, Grandpa! You have to get over here…please!" Yugi pleaded.

"…I'll be over there in a few minutes. You can count on me," Grandpa whispered, wishing he could be more comforting to his grandson.

They hung up on each other without saying goodbye; after what had just happened, saying that word seemed very inappropriate. Tears rolled out of the old man's eyes as he just stood there, holding the phone in its cradle on the wall, glancing at the floor. He didn't want to believe that it was true…that Carrie was dead…but Yugi wouldn't have lied about something so serious. This was Carrie he was talking about, and that boy loved that girl more than words could say.

And Grandpa loved her like she was his granddaughter.

Which was why hearing that she was dead was so hard for him.

He had been so happy when Yugi and Carrie had become friends, and even happier when those two had started dating. Carrie was such a kind-hearted girl; she would go out of her way to help Grandpa out when he needed it. She also liked to hear his stories about the past when he traveled to Egypt and learned the secrets of the ancient past. He sometimes thought their bond was as strong as the one he shared with Yugi, if not stronger. That was how he came to think of her as like a granddaughter…like she was a part of his family even though she and Yugi were not married quite yet.

Like Mai, he had noticed when Carrie was starting to slip away. She would stray away from the gang when they were in the middle of something and come lend him a hand with the business without the others really noticing. Her smile became a rare occurrence …well, at least her genuine one did. She would often fake a smile when someone asked her if she was all right and lie, saying she was perfectly fine. He knew she was lying and would tell Yugi to take better care of her, and the boy did try to do that, but he was only human with another distracting spirit in his head.

The day that Carrie had been in that car accident was hard on him, just like it had been hard on Mai.

But that was nothing compared to how hard this day was.

Grandpa shook his head and forced himself to stop crying. Yugi was in a lot of pain and needed someone to comfort him. It was his duty as the grandfather and legal guardian to do so. There would be enough waterworks today without his tears to upset the balance. And his tears could always wait for a later time so he wouldn't cry in front of his hurting grandson.

He never ran towards something faster in his entire life.

* * *

Tea felt bad and alone and depressed. Bad because she had hurt Carrie for no real reason. Alone because no one was there for her anymore. Depressed because of so many reasons that she could never list them all. She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression while her heart felt like it was no longer beating. It was still working, but it was times like this that made her wish it was otherwise.

All she wanted was her friends back. Only Carrie could make it so…but would she? Tea's approach to asking for the blonde to talk to the others hadn't exactly been civil or appropriate. Their encounter had gone nothing like she had planned. But it was too late to change the past. Things would go one way or another and she had no way of influencing that. All she could do was lie there and wait for something to happen. Anything, good or bad, happy or sad, alive or dead. Personally, she wanted the three pleasant things to happen, but it seemed the unpleasant ones were destined to befall her.

Her cell phone rang for the first time since she had insulted Carrie all those weeks ago, catching her by surprise. She grabbed it and saw the caller id said it was Carrie calling. She sighed and flipped her phone open on the second ring.

"Carrie, I don't want to talk to you unless you're calling to say the gang wants me back. Otherwise, I'm going to hang up and walk across the street without looking both ways," Tea murmured, trying to sound threatening but not succeeding at all.

"This isn't Carrie. This is Yami," the caller said, his voice trembling with emotion. This was a shock to Tea, but not as shocking as what he else would say. "Carrie is dead. She…she committed suicide because she thought that making you go through so much pain meant she was unworthy of life. Oh Tea…why did you have to blame her for what we did? It was our decision…and it was her decision to take her life. I'm not going to blame you…she wanted us to stop you from doing the same thing as her. Please…don't add to the death toll."

Tea immediately felt guilty and started crying.

"…She…she killed herself? I didn't mean for her to do that! I just came over to…to try to get her to talk to you guys! I don't want to be alone anymore, Yami…but I didn't want her dead! She was good for Yugi and I just wanted my friends back! I'm sorry! I should never have meddled! It's my fault she's dead!" Tea exclaimed. "If I hadn't come over today and let her see what being alone did to me…if I hadn't hurt her…then she'd still be alive!"

"It isn't your fault, Tea! It was her decision, and she didn't want anyone to be blamed for her death but herself. Please…calm down," Yami practically pleaded. He gave her a few minutes to calm down before speaking again. "She explained that we were doing to you what we did to her…only it was more intentional with you. Her last request was for us to take you back and prevent you from taking your life. It seems…It seems she thought you were worth more than she was."

"…But…I'm not…I used to insult her every moment that I possibly could because I was jealous of how close she was to you and Yugi. The accident made me realize…that it wasn't just one-sided, that she was the only one that cared in the relationship. Yugi was so worried about her…I bet he can't live without her. I tried to step aside and let things run their course without me…but then she snapped and I snapped and you…you all hated me. If I hadn't been so mean…if I had accepted that she and Yugi were meant for each other and you would never look my way…then I wouldn't have fallen into the darkness and Carrie wouldn't have killed herself. She was much kinder than I ever was. She is worth ten times more than me…and now she's gone…Yugi, I'm so sorry. I'm so…so sorry…"

"…Tea, will you come to the hospital? The others will not turn you away…I'll explain it to them. You can…you can apologize to Carrie and say your final goodbye with the rest of us."

Tea hesitated to answer. Would it be right for her to come when she and Carrie had been at odds for so long and she felt responsible for Carrie's death? She didn't think so, but… she couldn't just let Carrie go without making peace…even if it was with a dead body. Besides, her friends would need her if they didn't tear her apart first.

"Okay…I will be there soon."

She hung up without saying goodbye because it didn't feel appropriate. She was still very hesitant to go over to the hospital, but her mind was made up. She told Yami she would be over there, and she never went back on her word where he and Yugi were concerned. Despite being turned away by the both of them, she still loved them with all her shattered heart. So she stood up and left her house to go to the hospital for the second time that day, feeling guilty because her first visit had pushed Carrie over the edge into the darkness that was threatening to consume her, too.

_...If the others hate and blame me...I won't blame them. It is my fault, no matter what Yami claims and Carrie believed. A menace like me...doesn't deserve to live after what I caused Carrie to do, _Tea thought morosely as she continued to cry. _Death is a greedy creature...and tonight...he'll get another soul to devour._

She resolved to die that night…

Because of what she had done to Carrie.

* * *

Everyone besides Kaiba reached the hospital around the same time with the same sad expressions on their faces. No one spoke a word as they climbed into an elevator and rode up to the floor where Carrie's room was, though Tea was receiving a lot of glances for being there when it seemed like no one wanted her. No one said anything despite their confusion because there was someone more important than her to worry about.

And that person was Carrie.

As soon as those elevator doors opened, they rushed out of it and towards her room. The door was closed…nothing new. Tristan turned the doorknob and opened the door to show that the only people in the room were Yugi (Yami, actually) and Kaiba. Very few were quick to jump to the conclusion that the reason that they had come was true. Most were still in disbelief.

"…Where's Carrie?" Tristan asked for the collective whole.

Yami exchanged glances with Kaiba, hesitant to be the one to reiterate the bad news. The taller man just shook his head once, which was confirmation enough of what they feared. Mai collapsed onto her knees again and wept like she had at home. Joey knelt down beside her and offered her a shoulder to cry on while he finally let his feelings out. Grandpa's tears fell silently from his eyes as he walked over to his grandson and hugged him comfortingly. Tea grabbed the doorjamb and turned her face away, feeling too guilty to let the others see her cry over something she had unintentionally caused. And Tristan was too shocked to move or collapse or do anything besides stand still and cry.

Carrie's note was passed around while Yami explained what Carrie wanted to happen now that she was gone. This in turn explained why Tea was there. Tristan was quick to turn on her and point an accusing finger, enraged and upset about Carrie's death. He would have attacked her, too, but Kaiba grabbed his arms and held him back while the man struggled against the businessman's grasp. His reaction didn't make Tea feel any better. Yami had trouble getting him to calm down, but after several minutes, the brunette could be trusted to not attack Tea. The reality of the situation came down on him and he joined Mai on the floor while tearfully apologizing to the brunette woman for blaming her for all of this.

The doctors came in to deliver the bad news that they already knew. They said the gang could go say goodbye before she was carted away to the morgue to await a funeral or a cremation, and the people managed to regain their composure long enough to move into the room where Carrie had been pronounced dead. She looked merely asleep like she had when she was in her coma, but they all knew she wasn't going to wake up from this.

No one made a move forward to come close to the body. Tristan's heart wanted him to. Joey's conscience wanted him to. Mai's and Grandpa's bonds wanted them to. Kaiba's melting heart wanted him to. Tea's guilt wanted her to. But they all knew it wasn't their place to go first. Yugi had been the closest to her in life. He should be the first to say goodbye.

The boy seemed to realize this after a few minutes, for he slowly walked up to her pale unmoving body. They all watched him as he whispered something and then gave her a kiss goodbye. Losing someone that one loved so much was difficult and a pain no one should have to go through…

And it seemed like he wouldn't have to go through it.

Just like in a fairy tale, life returned to Carrie when he kissed her. The color returned to her skin and her eyes fluttered open and she breathed again and her heart resumed beating as if it had never stopped. When they saw this, they were beyond shocked. How could Carrie just come back to life like that? Were they all dreaming the same wacky dream?

"Carrie! How the hell did you come back? Was this all some huge prank or something?" Joey demanded, though he was smiling from happiness. He was very much happy to see she was alive so he could make his sister's tears go away.

"No…I can assure you it wasn't a prank. I really was dead. But these annoying Duel Monsters forced me to come back…Well, they made me realize that I shouldn't die and then forced me back to the world of the living. I don't regret coming back…I got to see your smiling faces and the joy my presence brings you," Carrie said with a smile, holding Yugi on her lap where she was still laying on the bed.

"Don't you ever do something like that again!" Tristan and Mai ordered in unison. Tristan's heart couldn't take much more of Carrie's accidents without shattering entirely, and Mai's heart didn't want to face this kind of situation ever again, either.

"Yeah…if you do, we'll have to bring you back and kill you again," Tea added nervously; she was watching what she said now because she didn't want to lose her friends again. She had just gotten them back in a painful way…losing them would make her want to resort to dying just as before.

"At least this story had a happy ending," Grandpa murmured with a smile while all of the friends around Carrie's age joined in a group hug with her right in the center. What he really meant was now he didn't have to worry about being a strong person for Yugi because the girl who was like his granddaughter was alive again.

Kaiba stayed back and smiled silently to himself. Though he wasn't too fond of Carrie, he was glad that she had come back to life. Now he wouldn't have to erase the smile from Alyssa's face…and now he wouldn't have to cry over her being dead.

Now if only he could take back that last painful hour and act like it never happened…

* * *

_A/N: Yeah, this is the same as the last chapter, but only from the others' perspectives. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading. Move onto the next chapter now, if you would be so kind._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Last chapter...more than likely. I hope you like it even though it is a bit weird and unexpected. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 8

A thousand apologies and a thousand hugs and a thousand tears later, Carrie was finally left alone with Yugi. All the potentially life-threatening items were removed from her room-no medical needles with drugs in them, no sharp pointy things, no razor, no bed sheets, and no pillowcases; they would have moved her down to the first floor if she hadn't promised to keep her window locked at all times-but that was okay. Even if the medical staff had left those things, Carrie would have never used them. The Duel Monsters had given her a reason to live. And she could never hurt Yugi like that again.

They were comfortable in each other's arms without saying a word, mostly because they were afraid to speak. Yugi didn't want to address the fact that she had died and Carrie didn't want to remember that she had been dead and caused him so much pain. They could have gone on avoiding that subject forever…

But then what kind of couple would they be?

Besides, Yami would always be there to remind them of her foolishness.

Yugi reached up and kissed Carrie's lips for about the hundredth time since she had come back. He hadn't realized that he had loved her so much until she had died, and now he was holding onto every moment he had with her, afraid that she might slip away again though she swore she would never die again by her own hand. Death had made him realize just what he had always thought-he couldn't live without her. Most people believed that was a bit overdramatic for teen love, but he knew it wasn't overdramatic. It was true for him and her. One could not survive without the other.

"Yugi…" she whispered, turning her face away from him after he had already pulled away just in case he tried to kiss her again. "…We're going to have to talk about it…"

"Don't worry. Grandpa already gave me that talk when I hit puberty," Yugi told her, avoiding the subject.

Carrie gave him a grim smile. "I'm not talking about _that _talk. We're going to have to talk about what happened today…We can't just act like it didn't…"

"All right…This is what happened today. We came to the hospital, you looked like you were dead, but when I kissed you, it turned out you were just asleep. End of talk," Yugi said, trying once more to avoid talking about Carrie's death.

"Yugi…You know I don't like being the mature one…" Carrie murmured. "…I died today…and I know that hurt you…It's obvious by the way you keep deflecting the subject of it…"

"Well, what do you want me to do? Oh, yeah…Let's talk about how you were dead for an hour and my life fell apart around me!" Yugi snapped bitterly.

Carrie fell silent at that and looked away from him. He immediately regretted what he had said because he knew she was very emotional and easily hurt, though before this whole thing she had covered it up with yelling or punching. She had just come back…he shouldn't be so hard on her. And she was right. They needed to face this…

But he didn't want to.

"…I'm afraid…" Carrie stated quietly with tears in her voice.

And that was saying a lot. Carrie rarely ever was afraid.

"You don't need to be afraid anymore. I'm here now. Nothing's ever going to happen. You'll be safe forever," Yugi assured her.

"…That's not true. As long as I live, I'll never be safe. No one is safe forever unless they're locked up somewhere in the middle of nowhere. And there is always some reason to be afraid. You never know what could happen in the future…even if you are psychic. Fate…is a twisted creature in the unknown just waiting for a moment to strike out and take something from you. Fate drove me to doing what I did…What will fate take from us next?" Carrie wondered aloud, not expecting an answer.

"Don't think so negatively. There are good things fate does. You came back because it was your fate…Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Yugi wanted to know.

"Of course it does. But…but Yugi, we need to talk about me being dead so we can prepare for the worst things that could happen in our future. What if I died again or what if you died? What if Yami died again, or one of our friends did? We can't just act like death is nothing. We need to talk about it."

Yugi turned away from her and sat up on the edge of the hospital bed. "…What if I never want to talk about it?"

"Then we'll wait until you're ready."

"What if…what if I'm never ready?"

"…Then…then you'll cause yourself to suffer through more pain than is necessary."

"…You don't know that…"

"Yugi, I know you are one of those people that think the world is a perfect place that won't fall apart…or that if it does, you and Yami can make it better. But it's not. Nothing is going to be the same forever. People around you are going to die and you're not going to be able to stop it. So why won't you accept that I died? Why, Yugi? Tell me. Is it that hard for you to accept?"

"Of course it is! I loved you so much, and then…then you went and killed yourself over something that could have been solved in life! Do you know how much pain you put me through and how many tears I've shed over you, Carrie? Ever since you were hit by that car, I've almost lost you twice! I was so afraid that you would never awaken from that coma and that I would never see your smiling face again! And then…and then seeing you on the ground after injecting yourself with drugs…that made my heart shatter! I thought our love would keep you from falling into the darkness, but apparently I was wrong! The only one who has ever loved in our relationship was me, wasn't it? You never gave a damn about me and my feelings, did you?"

Carrie looked taken aback. "…Y-Yugi…how can you say that? ...You're the reason I came back in the first place…and whenever you've been in trouble in the past, I have always tried to be there to help you. Was that not enough? …Do you…do you really think I have never loved you? ...Why?"

She was crying now, but she was doing so silently and Yugi had his back to her again. He was crying too, but she couldn't see that.

"In the past you made it quite obvious…but the Carrie I knew and loved seemed to have disappeared after the accident. You turned your back on your friends, who were there for you whenever they could be during your coma, and let Kaiba come see you when we were forbidden from doing so. Kaiba, of all people! You ignored Alyssa this whole time, who was falling apart over what happened to you and was afraid to see you so weakened. You try to kill yourself when things go awry even though your friends want you to live and there's no reason for you to die. You are not Carrie West anymore. You're an impostor posing as her. You could very well be her evil side for all I know."

Carrie was trembling with all these things Yugi was saying to her that were starting to take a toll on her. Yami could see this, but Yugi was too stubborn to listen to him right now. His anger was preventing mental communication with the spirit. Yami thought Yugi was being blockheaded, but could do nothing to stop this argument until the boy gave him an opening.

"…You think I'm evil now? I…I am not so. I was angry for you and the others… including Alyssa…ignoring me so much…and Kaiba was nice enough to pay for my surgeries so I was nice to him…and I wasn't thinking straight when I…when I committed suicide. My emotions made me do it…"

"You were never so suicidal before."

"Maybe I was so good at covering it up that you didn't know that I was always teetering on the edge of darkness. I…I am a master of keeping my emotions at bay…That's why no one knew how depressed I was…when I was hit by that car…except the one who lived with me."

Yugi didn't have a response to that, so he just stayed silent. He heard her take a ragged breath; it was then that he realized she was crying. But he was still too blockheaded to turn around and make things better.

"…When I died and drifted into darkness…before going whenever it is that people go when they die…I had a feeling I was leaving my body too slowly, like something was holding me back. Gyakutenno Megami…Uria…Empress Judge…Performance of the Sword…Dark Magician…They made me realize how stupid I was for killing myself… and they made me realize what was keeping me attached to my body. It was…it was my love for you…and my fear of what you would go through if I truly left the face of this world. They sent me back here…but it was because of you that I am alive now. Is that not enough proof that I love you? What more must I do…to prove that to you, Yugi? Do you want me to get on my hands and knees and beg for you…or write it in the stars…or go back to Yami's time and change time so that he succeeded in saving the world and himself way back then? Must I do the impossible in order to make you see what my heart feels for you?

"…Everything you've said…everything you've accused me of…It hurts, Yugi…It hurts me so much. I know my pain…will never compare to the pain I have put you through… but I thought…I thought we would both be happy when life flowed through me again. I didn't think we'd be arguing…and the only tears that would be shed would be tears of joy…but I was wrong. I love you…you say you love me…but it doesn't seem that way to either of us…What can we do to change that? What can we do…to start mending our hearts and making ourselves whole again? What can I do to make you happy again?"

No reply came for a few moments. Carrie felt her heart drop into her stomach and began to weep into her hands like a pathetic heartbroken schoolgirl that she never wanted to see herself as. She tried to keep silent as she had been, but the sobs managed to get past her lips and make themselves known. It seemed that all she had ever wanted had been an illusion. Her life was falling apart around her. Those Duel Monsters had been wrong. They had just tricked her into coming back so they could continue to exist or for some other selfish reason she didn't know. Those bast-

She felt gentle hands grab her shoulders and pulled her face away from her hands out of a mixture of curiosity and surprise. A pair of big tear-filled violet eyes looked into hers with a combination of regret and sorrow and concern …and love. Before she knew what to make of his sudden mood change, he placed his lips on hers and kissed her more passionately than he had all those other times. Being human, she couldn't help but return it with just as much passion. There was tongue action. There was placement of hands on each other and in each other's hair. There was a point in time where Carrie ended up on her back and Yugi was on top of her. But it was just a passionate kiss…or rather, make-out session.

They broke apart to catch their breaths, which was a little more difficult for the slightest crippled one because her right lung was still a bit iffy from the accident. Yugi laid down next to her-being passionate really took it out of him. But he would do anything to stop Carrie's pain…even die of lack of oxygen.

"…If you really…want to make me happy…then promise…that you'll never let yourself be hurt unless it's absolutely necessary…and you'll never question my love for you ever again," Yugi gasped.

"I will…if you make the same promise…" Carrie said.

Yugi smiled at her. Did she even have to ask?

Carrie glanced at the clock with a sad look in her eyes. "…Visiting hours are almost over. You will need to go soon. But…but I don't want you to go…"

"If you don't want me to go, then I won't leave."

"I'll never want you to go."

"Then I'll never leave."

"You could get caught."

"Yes, but I could get caught with _you_, which makes it worth the risk."

"We're still in high school. If we do anything out of the ordinary…a magic seed will be planted in my tummy and you might become something you're too young and short to be already. Is that worth the risk?"

"...We're both seniors and will be graduating in a few weeks. We're eighteen…well, you're close enough to that age. We've been in a relationship for over a year and have been friends longer…Doing something 'out of the ordinary' wouldn't destroy our lives. And you needn't worry about the 'magic seed'. Joey gave me something in case a crazy fan girl ever decided to kidnap me and do horrible things that he graphically described to me."

"Are you saying that I'm the crazy fan girl he warned you about?"

"Not exactly. You're crazy, but not in the fan girl kinda way, and you didn't kidnap me; I came to you willingly. And those things he told me about won't be horrible with you… even if it will be a bit graphic…and very out of character for me…"

Carrie giggled. "Yeah. A sweet, cute little person like you actually doing something like that would be a little out of character. But we're teens with hormones…you know it's going to happen eventually. But if you're serious about this…I'd better lock the door and you'd better get that something on your ding-a-ling."

Yugi turned red like he usually did when this kind of talk came up. Somehow he managed to stand and made his way into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Carrie was nervous and she knew he was, too, but she was not going to back out unless he really wasn't ready. She walked over to the door to push the lock button and even went so far as to put a chair in the way so even if someone managed to unlock the door, they would still have trouble getting in. She turned all the stuffed animals over so their dark beady little eyes wouldn't be watching her-Blue Eyes received special treatment and found a place inside of her backpack with her school supplies. Yugi had already taken the Puzzle off before heading into the bathroom, so Carrie stuffed that in her backpack too so Yami wouldn't get a show to complain about later. If she had even the slightest incline that he had seen her with Yugi in that way, the Puzzle would be in a million pieces more than it was originally.

She heard the bathroom door open again. It seemed Yugi was ready.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Carrie asked without turning around to look at him.

"…Yes…I have never been more sure about something in my life."

Carrie turned around and immediately her lips were met by his. Her hand intertwined itself in his hair while the other pulled him closer. His hands were too busy keeping her head near his (remember, she's six inches taller than he is). Somehow, without breaking apart or meaning to, Carrie found herself horizontal and Yugi on top of her again. Unlike before, things would go further. This wouldn't be just a make-out session. This would be more than they ever thought it could be because she had always seen him as too innocent and he had always seen her as too impulsive.

But there was nothing impulsive about them now.

* * *

Yami retreated within the silent labyrinth of the Millennium Puzzle, not wanting to be a bother to Carrie and Yugi and also not wanting to see or hear anything they did for the next few hours. Though it sickened him to know what she was doing to and what he was doing with their body, the spirit was glad that their argument had ended and they had stopped saying hurtful things to each other. Everything that had needed to be said was said at last. He couldn't ask for more.

The stone tablets of the Duel Monsters appeared around him; this was the place he had wanted to visit for some time now. But he had always been too busy consoling Yugi or saving the world to do it before. Now Carrie was taking care of his hikari, so there was nothing preventing him from coming here. She had been kind enough to come back for Yugi and relieve his pain. It was time she received something in return for that.

"Mystical Elf, I call you forth," he said when he stood in front of her tablet.

The tablet glowed for a moment. The blue elf with long orange-blonde hair garbed in a flowing green dress emerged, giving the Pharaoh his respect with a small bow. She fixed a calm gaze upon him, a smile on her face. She never seemed to be unhappy.

"What do you require of me, Pharaoh?" she asked.

"I request for you to heal my friend, Carrie Alyson West, and restore her body to the way it was before the accident that crippled her. Her strength is a valuable asset for aiding me to fulfill my destiny. I ask that she have that returned to her. And for my hikari's sake…I ask that she no longer be marred from the accident and any scar she has on her to vanish as if it was never there. Carrie has been through enough as it is…She needn't suffer anymore," Yami stated.

"As you command, my Pharaoh," Mystical Elf murmured.

Her hands folded and she began to chant her spells that would do as Yami requested. He couldn't tell if they were working or not since he couldn't see Carrie, but he didn't doubt Mystical Elf's powers. Even if he did…he could always find out tomorrow when the activities of tonight were definitely over.

"My Pharaoh…if you will pardon me if I sound out of line…I believe you are doing this more for Yugi than anyone else. You seem to care about him more than anyone in the world…except maybe Iris of the past," Mystical Elf remarked once she had finished her chants.

"…I do not remember Iris…but it is true that I care much for Yugi. The love I feel for him is not the same that he feels for Carrie…but I love him as if he were my little brother. Whatever makes him happy shall in turn make me happy. I may not be fond of Carrie because she always is a little out there. But Yugi loves her with all his heart, so I must do everything I can to ensure that she continues to make him happy and is not suffering herself. Think of it what you will. I just believe it is looking out for friends," Yami said.

Mystical Elf smiled brighter than before. "You are a good man, my Pharaoh. I pray that you may some day find the same thing your hikari is feeling so that you can be rewarded for your kindness. Perhaps you have found that already?"

Yami smiled and shook his head. "Not yet, but I hope I will find it as well. You are dismissed now, Mystical Elf. You can return to flirting with Dark Magician again."

The elf looked taken aback and put her hands on her hips, her blue face slightest tinted with red. "I do not like him like that, Pharaoh! We are just friends! Nothing more! And Duel Monsters don't flirt!"

Yami chuckled as she disappeared inside of her tablet once again. Love was such a mysterious thing. Sometimes he wished to find it, other times he wished it would stay away from him for the rest of time. But his hikari was content with love, so he would go on tolerating it so long as he could. That's the least he could do after the boy had shared his body and his mind and his heart with the spirit for so long.

He just regretted the sharing of bodies for right now.

What was that hyperactive, mood-changing, boy-beating, dumb smart blonde doing to their body right this instant?

He felt like throwing up as his mind shifted through all the possibilities.

Why did he have to share a body with a boy in love with Carrie, anyway?

* * *

Yugi didn't regret his decision. Carrie was a wonderful and beautiful and amazing person and deserved to feel his love for her. And she had, and he had felt hers. It was beyond what words could describe.

She was asleep now with her head resting on his chest for once; usually it was the other way around because he was shorter than her. The sun made its ascend into the sky, illuminating her with its touch to make her seem more angelic. He smiled-was it possible to smile anymore without his face freezing that way?-and kissed her forehead. She stirred but didn't wake up. After all she had been through recently, it was probably better that she stayed asleep. If he could have stayed that way, his eyes wouldn't be greeting the rising sun. Unfortunately, his overworked mind had stopped him from getting more than a few hours' rest.

The clock on the wall said it was just after eight. By the rules of the hospital, he should have left twelve hours ago and shouldn't have been here for another hour. But rules were meant to be bent and, in severe cases, broken. Last night was one of those cases, in his opinion. She might have been crippled in an accident, but he didn't notice any of her scars or flaws because he had been too busy loving her. One who truly loves another doesn't notice flaws because flaws are what make someone perfect.

He knew he should be leaving so that Grandpa wouldn't panic about him not showing up, but he feared that the slightest movement might wake Carrie. She looked so peaceful and happy…something he hadn't seen in a long time. He never wanted to see that change. If he had a choice, he and Carrie would remain that way forever and ever and ever. But that was impossible. They had lives to live outside of each other.

He managed to get his arm from underneath her without waking her and pushed the sheet off of himself, quickly grabbing his discarded underwear off the floor and pulling them on. His pants were quick to follow. He was reaching for his shirt when…

The hospital bed transferred movement that wasn't his, alerting him that Carrie was awake now.

Yugi turned to look at her with a smile on his face, which she was already returning. Her beautiful emerald eyes were smiling, too, something more rare than her being happy. Had just one night transformed her that much?

"Good morning, Carrie," Yugi greeted, pecking her on the lips.

"Good morning, Yugi," Carrie said. "…In a hurry to leave me already?"

"No. But you know how Grandpa is. If I don't show up soon, he'll start panicking…if he hasn't already," Yugi replied. "I would never leave you if I didn't have to."

"I know. That's why I'm not trying to get you to stay. He's your family, and he's like a grandfather to me…so you go take care of him for the both of us," Carrie told him.

Yugi smiled brighter than before. "I will. Thank you for understanding."

He finished dressing quickly before excusing himself to the bathroom. Carrie sat up with the sheets wrapped tightly around her, not getting dressed yet because a shower was more ideal if she was going to meet up with her friends later. She reached down into her backpack and unearthed the Millennium Puzzle. If Yugi was going to leave, he would want to take it back. It was the only thing he liked as much as her because he loved Yami like a brother.

_Good morning, Yami. Sorry I had to stuff you in my backpack last night, but I didn't think you would want to see that, _Carrie apologized. _Just thought I would tell you that._

_**It's fine…just don't do it again, **_Yami grumbled.

_Now Yami, me and Yugi are a couple, and when two people love each other very much... stuff happens behind closed doors._

_**That's not what I'm talking about…though I would appreciate it if you would not do that to the body I share with Yugi. I meant don't stow me away. I respect people's privacy. I'm not one who is into watching that kind of action.**_

_You're a guy. You might be tempted to look. And also...the Puzzle has an eye on it. Even if you weren't looking, it would feel like you were. So you see my predicament here._

_**A predicament easily solved by not being hormonal.**_

_Oh, like you've never liked someone before. You were drooling when Tea was dancing against Johnny in front of you. I saw that and you can't deny it._

_**I would never drool over Tea! She isn't hot!**_

"Yugi! Your stupid spirit friend is yelling at me!" Carrie complained as Yugi walked back out of the bathroom. "He says he thinks Tea is hot and wants to see her dance again!"

_**I hate you.**_

_I love you, too!_

"I'll take him off your hands now," Yugi said, taking the Puzzle from her hands and putting it around his neck as usual. He stole another kiss from her. "I'll see you later."

"See you later," Carrie whispered.

She went to stand and give him a hug, favoring her right side as usual. But then something changed in her eyes. First it was confusion…then shock…then excitement.

"Yugi! My right side feels normal! It doesn't hurt or feel awkward or anything!" Carrie exclaimed. "I'm just like I was before the accident! I think your stupid spirit friend used his magical powers of persuasion to get a Duel Monster to heal me! He's awesome for making this miracle happen!"

"I'm glad to hear it, and I'll let him know how awesome he is," Yugi stated with a grin.

"This means I can leave the hospital today and go home with you!" Carrie shouted, hugging him tightly in her happiness. "I know you need to go home to stop Grandpa from going crazy, but as soon as I'm presentable, I'm rushing over there and we can invite the others over and we can be happy together!"

"Stop speaking so fast! I know you're happy, and I'm happy for you!"

And he was, more than words could say.

After being in the hospital so long, Carrie was finally going to be able to go home.

It was all like a dream…

* * *

Carrie left home after she and Mai had dropped off all her hospital stuff in the apartment, which was now flooded with stuffed animals, and stepped out of Mai's car right in front of the game shop. Mai wouldn't let her walk across streets anymore because she was worried about that day repeating itself…and she wouldn't leave the girl alone around potentially life-threatening objects because she was worried that yesterday might repeat itself. Mai was okay, though. Overprotective, but okay.

They both walked through the front door of the game shop. For one, it was the first time in months. Everything looked the same as it had before she had landed in the hospital except there were a few new cards here and there. But Duel Monsters mattered very little to her right now.

All that mattered was the group of people around the counter, all looking at her.

Yugi was seated on the counter that Grandpa was standing behind, still smiling despite how much time had passed. Joey and Tristan stood to his left, and Tea stood to his right. Off to her far side stood Kaiba, surprisingly, and behind his flowing silver duster, Alyssa was there. Seeing that brunette woman after avoiding her for so long…it was shocking, to say the least. Carrie was spellbound and speechless, but there was no need for words. The pretty niece of Pegasus walked over to her cousin and wrapped her arms around the girl, ignoring the tears that fell from her yellow-green eyes.

"…I'm sorry I was never there for you," Alyssa whispered. "Before, it was all about me…and I'm so sorry about that. But now it can be about you because you're just as important as the rest of us…and far more important than me."

Carrie smiled as Alyssa released her. "That's where you're wrong, Aly. I'm not more important than you. We are equally important. And you have been forgiven. Everyone was forgiven when I opened my eyes this morning."

"…Even me?" Tea asked nervously.

"Especially you," Carrie told her. "Just as long as you're not cutting anymore."

"I'm not, I swear," Tea said defensively.

"Good. Because if you were, I'd have to kick your ass," Carrie threatened.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You are too crippled to kick anyone's ass. So I wouldn't go making threats unless you want to land yourself in the hospital again."

"I am not a cripple anymore! I've been healed! I don't even have any scars anymore!" Carrie announced.

"What? Did Yugi heal you overnight or something? You don't just recover like that, you stupid blonde runt."

Carrie smirked at the insult. Instead of giving him the pleasure of a verbal reply, she pulled back her right fist and punched him in the chest, knocking the air right out of him. Her strength had come back with her recovered body. Insulting her would only get others hurt. Kaiba had learned that the hard way.

"So what are we going to do to celebrate your miraculous recovery?" Tristan asked, pulling the high-spirited blonde into a hug. "A dueling tournament? A pizza party? Hanging out here? Dancing? Singing? You name it, we'll do it…so long as you never put us in a similar situation again."

"I vote for the pizza!" Joey exclaimed.

Grandpa hit him on the back of the head with a rolled up newspaper for making that comment. Everyone knew what Joey wanted. Very few people knew what Carrie wanted.

"…Let's just do something fun together," Carrie replied.

Because anything would work now that she wasn't the forgotten shadow.

The spotlight was on everyone, and shining brightly over her and Yugi.

* * *

_A/N: This is probably going to be the last chapter. It seems like it could work to me, even though Carrie and Yugi at the beginning was a little out there. Well, what did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


End file.
